Fallen Angel of Black: The Origins of Forte EXE
by Fatesmon
Summary: My very first Mega Man (AKA Rock Man) fic. Read on about the tale of Kitzunare Izumi and his newly gained Navi, Forte EXE. (July 13, 2002--final chapter up!)
1. Chapter 1: Elegy To Silenced Peace

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Fallen Angel of Black:  
The Origin of Forte EXE

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by Baka-Sama (AKA Fatesmon)

Chapter 1: Elegy To Silenced Peace

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Six years ago…

"…And the metroline still continues to speed wildly out of control. Dentown officials are trying their best to get the system back on check and destroy the virus that started all this, but Net Battlers are being tied up with navigating the system itself _and_ deleting all the lesser viruses that have suddenly appeared along the way. It is not confirmed, but most agree that this is definitely the work of the new evil virus organization, the WWW-- …Oh my god… Ladies and gentlemen, I have just received this new update: the metroline has just crashed at Station 5. The people at the station are fine as far as I know, but as for the passengers themselves…."  
  
Station 5 itself was a true definition of Hell on earth. Many people were clinging to the walls and pillars, either breathing heavily in shock and relief or hugging their loved ones that were fortunately left unharmed. The metroline had piled up on itself, obliterating the tunnel and splitting the rails. Sparks flew from the train and the wrecked lights above it, as police and rescuers alike rushed to the wreck and tried to discover survivors. All of them, however, seemed unaware that they all were passing a lone, six year-old boy, lying on the floor and about to awake.

"…Uhhh… H..huh?" The boy slowly opened his green eyes, seeing only the floor, and thus lifted himself with his arms and sat upright, rubbing the side of his forehead. His hair was a thick black, with strands of hair along his head radiating into little points and tilting backward, like a sun design, and along with one long spike of hair coming to a cone point from the back of his head. He wore a light brown, long sleeved shirt and dark gray pants that were are all dusty and torn a tiny bit here and there from whatever caused him to go to the floor like that. His black shoes with white bases and red outlines were dirty as well.

"My head hurts… Where am I? Where's mommy and--**!!!!**" He turned his head to get a good look at his current place, suddenly noticing the wreck of the metroline that he and his parents were on… "Mommy? Daddy?" The boy slowly stood up and started walking towards the wreck, paying no attention to anything else but it. "MOMMY? DADDY?"

"Huh?" asked a rescue worker with a stubby chin to himself, just to the left of the lad and hearing the plea for his parents and finally noticing the kid. The worker just stared in astonishment at the poor lad, realizing what news the poor boy was about to find out.

"…**MOMMY! DADDY!**" The helpless child started to rush at the wreckage in hopes of finding his parents, but the rescue worker grabbed him and stopped him from getting any further. "**MOMMY! DADDY!**"

"Don't go there, son!" pleaded the worker. "It's too dangerous!

"LET ME GO!" demanded the child, struggling to get free and reaching out to the metroline. "I GOTTA FIND MY MOMMY AND DADDY!"

"I'm sorry son, but…you won't find them."

"**MOOMMMYY! DAADDYYY!!**" His yelling suddenly stopped, and both his free hand and eyes started to quiver. He lowered his eyelids as his eyes started to get watery, and immediately he clanged to the worker's legs and started crying his little heart out. The worker saw nothing else to do but feel sorry and rub the little guy's head.

"Dam--I mean, darn it," the worker stated, trying to not influence the kid's lingo, "why couldn't the Net Battlers have worked faster--HEY!" The kid suddenly pulled away and ran off towards the stairs, still crying. "KID! WAIT! COME BACK HERE!"

***

The child rushed up the stairs and through the white upper floor of the station, trying to find somewhere where he could just be alone for the moment. As he ran across the tiled floor, a tall and gaunt, blonde-haired man in a white overcoat with blue-framed glasses ran by him, going the other way. Just as he passed the kid, the hand closest to the child looked like it was just holding onto something… Either way, both still run on, and the kid rushed up the stairs, past many other city people, and onto the sidewalks of Dentown. Through the bustle and noises of the big city, the black-haired runt dashed down the streets, until he was far away from the station. He stopped, catching his breath, and set himself down on a nearby bench. He got back to his weeping over his lost parents.

"Mommy… Daddy… *SNIFF*…" He laid his arms down on the bench, with his right hand beside the side pocket of his pants. The kid noticed something in the pocket that wasn't there before, and reached in and pulled out some peculiar device. He held the thing in his hand while looking down at the small, black rectangular item. It had a metallic spike on the top, like it was to be inserted somewhere, and it looked like a laptop if one ever became handheld. It had a light orange frame, with a thin silver frame just around it in the inside. There was a hole in the upper left of the lid that bordered some big circular shape--a jewel maybe?--that was a shining and reflective purple. He opened the lid to it, and got a better look at what the thing actually was. Dozens of silver buttons were strewn about in an arrangement similar to a keyboard, with an electronic screen in the upper middle.

"Wha… What is it?" asked the boy to himself.

"**THERE HE IS! OVER ON THE BENCH!**"

The boy looked over to the left and saw the rescue worker and some police behind him, coming from the same walk he ran over from the station.. The lad tucked the device back in his pocket, and just looked down at the ground, not much in care if they get him or not.

***

"He's been identified as Kitzunare Izumi," said a thin police officer, working on the computer at his desk in the police station. Another, pudgier officer, one of the police officers that found Izumi, watched his comrade while leaning on the other side of the desk. Meanwhile Izumi just moped down towards the floor on a bench on the wall. (He likes benches, doesn't he?)

"A rescue worker found him at the site of the accident, then he got away and we found him on a bench just a few feet from the station," claimed the officer not on the computer.

"And did they find his parents'--" The officer at the desk tried to finish his statement, but his comrade raised his hand and nudges his head towards the kid. The other got the idea and stopped in his tracks. "Oh…right…"

"Does he have any relatives, or people he knows somewhere around here?"

"Not really… He and his parents came all the way from Plus-Minus Town. We've tried contacting anyone who might have befriended his folks, but no answers yet. We're gonna wait three more weeks. Otherwise, it's to the orphanage or to someone who's willing to adopt. In the meantime, the rescue worker's willing to deal with him."

Both officers just looked at the poor child, just sitting there and fixating on the floor. 

"…Poor kid," expresses the chubby cop. "He's both lucky to be a survivor, but also _unlucky_ to be the only one…"

"He'll be a bit famous because of that, but what's the point?"

Not listening to the cops during their conversation, little Izumi thought about two main things in his head: the device, and why all of this had to happen. How did he get the weird thing? Where are his parents now? What does that thing do? Will he ever see his mother and father again? Many questions were asked, but his brain could not answer them.

***

"Well, here's your room!"

The rescue worker, now out of his uniform and in casual clothes (a green t-shirt and blue jeans), laid down Izumi's bag on the floor in front of the doorway while Izumi just swayed his head back in forth to look at the room. The room had a teal floor, empty teal walls, save for a lone window on the back wall with a view of the city below, a bright red-orange bed in the upper-left, and a desk near the door with a computer on it, with a wooden chair lying in front of it.

"Try your best not to mess it up too much--you're here for only three weeks. I already set up that computer so you can do…whatever you kids do nowadays." The worker grabs hold of the doorknob as he was about to leave.

"Um…thank you, mister…" nervously complemented Izumi, turning his face at his temporary guardian.

"No sweat kid. I know how hard it is for you, believe me. Call me if ya need help unpacking or something.."

The man closed the door behind him, leaving the kid to his work. Izumu crouched down and unzipped his bag, reaching and taking out his items: some preschool books, a light purple blanket with some Hsien-Ko chibi-heads and some of her projectiles, a pull-and-talk Kobun doll ("MISS TROOOONNN!!"), a coloring book (with a half-colored image of X, Zero, and the Repliforce of X4 as the cover…), and some stuffed animals (a bear, a parrot, a monkey--no cameos this time). As he's about to take out his clothes, he just stared and blinks for a moment, then reaching for the thing in his pocket again. He looked at it a little further, trying to find out but still not knowing what it is. Lowering his brow in frustration, he reached and tried setting the thing on the desk next to the computer. The child noticed in the corner of his eye some round hole in the bottom-right corner of the monitor, a hole that looks like something should go in. His hand was still on the rectangular contraption, so he took it off the desk and looked at it again. He fixated on the little spike on top, then looked back at the monitor hole. He looked back and forth twice, before coming to a conclusion. He grabbed the chair and laid himself down in it, and turned on the computer. After the activation sequence, he took the device and inserted the spike into the hole. Suddenly, something glowed from under its lid as well as the jewel-like thing, so he lifted it up and saw that the screen was on. Looking back at the computer monitor, he noticed a new icon of some small face that was flashing. It said, "PET". Izumi simply clicked on it with curiosity.

***

*blink blink*

"……Hmmm…… Well _finally_ I'm activated!"

The world suddenly shifted from the real one to the computer world, with green-bordered sky blue tiles and an animated wallpaper of some violet-haired girl in a red bikini, crouching down and blowing a kiss (hey, it wasn't the kid's computer). In the middle of the floor sat a peculiar-looking person wearing a dusty brown poncho and a black helmet with two mohawks on the sides (orange on the outer sides of the mohawks) that hid all of his hair, and a blue jewel on the forehead area. The person himself seemed to be between his late teens to his early adulthood, with crimson eyes and purple stripes on each side from across his cheeks to his eyes. He stood up on his black boots and looked left and right at his surroundings.

"…Must say, this guy's got some…nice tastes (HEHEHE…)" remarked the young man, snickering devilishly at the wallpaper choice.

"WOW! You can talk?"

"Hm? ….What in the….?"

The young man shifted his eyes at the source of the noise, and sees as the back wall a monitor that shows the six year-old Izumi looking back at him, his mouth wide open in amazement and glee.

"…This is the computer of a little _kid_?" asked the young digital man.

"Oh, it's not mine," answered Izumi. "It's the nice man's who's letting me stay here!"

"I was about to say… So what's your name, kid?"

"Um, my name is Izumi!"

"Izumi, huh? …Not bad, not bad."

"So who are you? And, why are you wearing a dress? Aren't you a boy?"

The digital man lowers his brow in discontempt from the kid's ignorance.

"First of all, it's not a dress, it's a _poncho_. And second, I'm part of your PET, Izumi."

"…Pet? But, you don't look cuddly…"

"Not _that_ kind of pet… 'Personal Exploration Terminal.'"

"….Huh?" Izumu tilts his head and scratches in his hair with his index finger.

"…Well, to be more precise, I'm your Net Navi."

"Oh! What's the ocean like? Can you tell me?"

Izumu smiled, anxiously awaiting a description, while a sweatdrop slid down the back of the Navi's head. The Navi turned away and shaked his fist with annoyance.

"_SHIMATTA… It HAD to be a little kid, it HAD to be a little kid…_" thought the Navi to himself. He turns back to the little kid.

"OK, I'm _not _from the Navy, just to point that out I'm like a…um… friend inside of your computer!"

"Really?! I could use a friend right now…"

"…Something wrong?"

"I'm really sad right now… Me and my mommy and daddy were on a train, but they…."

Izumi looked away and replaced his smile with a frown.

"…And who's this 'nice man'?"

"He's giving me a home until I have a better one, because my mommy and daddy…." 

"…Man, that must _really_ suck--I mean, stink," replied the young man, cautious of his tone in front of the young one. Izumi turns his attention back at the screen.

"Hey, what's your name?" asks Izumi.

"…My name? Well, that's for _you_ to decide! Except, it hast to have 'EXE' at the end of it."

"Really? Why's that?"

"Dunno, it's always like that for _all_ Net Navis."

"Hmmm…" Izumi closes his eyes and rubs his chin, deeply thinking on what to title his new Net Navi. "…I know! Postullio!"

"…_WHAT_?"

"Postullio! It's from a funny cartoon with a green alien!"

"….No."

"But, Postullio's a _fun_ name to say!"

"NO."

"…Please?"

"**NO!**"

"…You're mean…" Izumi pouts and crosses his arms.

"….*AHEM* So, what do ya wanna do, Izumi? I'm not gonna just stand here and waste away, am I?"

"Huh? Well, mommy and daddy were taking me to go see the zoo… Can you take me to the zoo?"

"Which one?"

"Um… Dentown Zoo?"

"Hmmm…" The Navi looked down and rubbed his chin. "I can't really take you there…. But I could find the web site!"

"Web site?"

"Yeah, the web site! It should have pictures and info on the animals you wanna see."

"When can you go?"

"Right now, if ya like."

"YIPPEE!"

"Just watch me on the PET's monitor when I get out of the computer's space."

"The what?"

"…That thing that you put into the computer."

"Oh! OK!"

While Izumi turned away and looked at the PET's screen, the male Navi walked away and disappeared through some violet teleporter. Izumi stared at the blank screen, suddenly seeing his new friend inside the Internet on top of an access terminal, along with some other icons, a health bar on the left among things. Forte walked off it and looked around.

"Hey Izumi," spoke the Navi, where he was heard through the PET's speaker by the child, "can ya hear me?"

"Yup!"

"Good, good. Hey, do ya know what town or city you're in now?"

"Um, I'm still in Dentown I think."

"Good, that should help. I'll try finding a Navi to give me directions. Izumi, tell me if something odd starts to happen on the screen, all right?"

"Okay."

The Net Navi rushed down the info highway south of the terminal, proceeding through a right turn and a zig-zagish pathway. He looked left and right again, then noticed not too far away a gaunt green robot with yellow stripes, with his limbs and areas black where the armor didn't go over--a basic Navi. He rushed up to the Navi.

"'Scuse me, but could ya tell me where I find the Dentown Zoo's web site?"

"Hm?" The Navi turns his head towards the Navi. "Dentown Zoo… I know!" The Navi pointed west, towards a corner turning up. "Go down there, left at the three-way, down the next turn, straight down the next turn's path without going down the other paths attached to it, and just turn left again at the next three-way. Entrance should be right there."

"Thanks!" The Navi bows his head in respect.

"No problem." The un-named Navi went down the corner and up, left at the intersection, and up again at the next corner. While Izumi watched, a red icon in the bottom right of the screen suddenly started flashing. Izumi noticed it immediately.

"Hey Navi?" The Navi halted.

"What is it?"

"There's this red flashing thing on the screen… What's it mean?" The Navi suddenly got serious and lowered his brow to add to the mood.

"A virus is coming…"

"A what?"

Before he could answer, the floor suddenly changed from orange to three columns of gray tiles. The floor split in front of the Navi, with a blue frame around the tiles of the Navi's area, and a red border around the tiles of the other side. The Navi just stared on as some creature stared fading in three rows down from where he stood, while another energy bar appeared on the right side of the screen. The creature was some sort of silver knight without legs, with a red long diamond on the top of his helmet and a flaming sword in its hand. It's face, though not covered with a visor, was pitch black save for the red glowing eyes.

"W-what…is it?" asks Izumi nervously.

"A virus, Izumi. They're…like monsters that appear suddenly in the Internet. You have to fight them to get rid of them."

"M-M-MONSTERS?!"

"…_This is so EMBARASSING, talking to a kid like THIS!_" thought the Navi to himself. But he focused back to the task at hand, staring down the knight virus. He brushed his poncho out of the way with his right arm to get it out, showing his arm all black and his hand all white. His hand somewhat retreated into his gauntlet wrist, opening a hole for some sort of blaster which he pointed at his foe. The knight warped and reappeared in the row in front of it, and then warped again to the row in front of the male Navi. The virus swiped his sword through the entire row, but the Navi ducked down and avoided the blade. The digital man leaped back two rows and shot a large yellow blast from his weapon, which hit the virus and caused it to fade out a little. Izumi noticed the right bar lowering down a fourth.

"I think you hurt him!" cheers Izumi to his friend.

"Well _duh_," answers back the Navi sarcastically. The Navi stayed put in the row he was in, while the knight just slashed away to no avail at the row in front of him.

"Hey, why can't he hit you?" asked Izumi.

"The red bordered tiles are his fighting area, as the blue ones are mine," answered the Navi. "He can't go on mine, and I can't go on his. I'll just need to blast him from here and--"

Suddenly, three shots of light rained down from the sky and changed the row the knight was slashing at into red bordered ones. The knight moved forward, and continued slashing away again. The Navi widens his eyes in surprise.

"He must have a 'Steal' ability," said the Navi. "_If he hadn't of fought me right on this thin walkway,_" though the Navi, "_I'd have more side room and wouldn't have to worry about this! Oh well, no biggy._" He shot at the virus once more, causing more damage and another fourth of the right bar to go down.

"YAY! You're almost there!" proclaimed Izumi with delight.

"_Gotta love my fans_," thought the Navi with a grin. Suddenly, another "Steal" command occurred, and now the knight moved up and slashed at his row, finally hitting him before he could react. The left bar loses a tiny bit of energy.

"*GASP* OH NO! You're hurt!"

The Navi crouches down and grabs his chest, just below the blade's area. The Navi looked down at the scrape on his poncho from the sword, and then looked up at the knight virus--_very_ pissed I might add.

"…You just damaged me… YOU JUST DAMAGED ME…"

The Navi gritted his teeth hard in a scowl, and pointed his blaster right at the virus' face. The blaster started glowing yellow, and Izumi wondered what caused such a pretty light.

"YOU LOW-GRADE **VIRUS SCUM!!**" The Navi shot an _enormous_ blast, as big as four tiles, at the virus, which _literally_ lost it's head completely. The virus' bar disappeared completely, and the rest of the virus' body faded out completely. The Navi stood up and put his arm back under his poncho, breathing heavily from his build-up of rage. The Izumi felt a bit frightened from his new friend's sudden change of mood, but was shifted by a new mini-screen that covered up his friend's image. The mini-screen reported of some data coming in, and then showed an image of a yellow coin with a "Z" on it, saying "You got 300 Zenny!".

"Hey! We got some money from the virus!" said Izumi. The tiles morphed back to the normal orange floor.

"Heh… That virus _paid_ for his crime… A low life virus, hurting _me_! HAH!"

"You were AWESOME!"

"Well, I must say, virus busting's like an instinct to me. I guess you could say…it's my forte."

"Forte… What's that?"

"Huh? Oh, it mean's 'strong point', what you do best."

"Forte… I'll call you that!"

"What?"

"Forte! Your name's Forte EXE!"

"Forte…" muttered the newly-named Navi, taking a moment to think about it. "…I like it. You have good tastes, Izumi."

"Well, it's just that your best at…being my best friend." Izumi grinned and giggled at Forte EXE, while Forte EXE just blinked twice and then grinned himself.

"You're some kid, Izumi… You're some kid…"

***

Eventually, Forte EXE found the website for the zoo and helped Izumi see all the various animals. While Izumi had an obsession for the koalas, Forte had a frightening fixation on the lions and how they ripped their prey apart (must be that fighting spirit of his, I guess…). The rescue worker let them play and didn't bother them much, so the two new pals got well acquainted during the first two weeks. Two weeks and four days later, Izumi was informed that someone was willing to adopt him. The man's name was Derek Rockhard. Izumi and Derek seemed to have gotten along pretty smoothly as adoptive child and parent. …However, for reasons we are not yet aware of, Izumi ran off with Forte's pet two months after his eleventh birthday. As far as we know, he was last seen in Dentown, as it's a good a guess as any that he may still be there today….

**__**

To Be Continued….


	2. Chapter 2: Rock and Roll, Angels!

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Fallen Angel of Black:  
The Origin of Forte EXE

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by Baka-Sama (AKA Fatesmon)

Chapter 2: Rock and Roll, Angels!

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(Author's Note: From this chapter and on, I'll be using two character made by a talented artist by the name of Suraida-Chan: Kimi Browser and Slider EXE. Some of you may be familiar with her super-kawaii artwork on the site for the Rockman web comic Bob and George. As I have done, respect her ownership and ask her if you want to use them…because otherwise, all HELL will break loose, as the messengers of the Apocalypse come straight for YOU AND YOUR SOON-TO-BE TORMENTED SOUL, AND THE FIRES OF **DAMNATION WILL CONSUME YOUR VERY BODY IN RELENTLESS PITS OF**--……_ *AHEM* Ehehehehe… You…get the idea ^_^;;.)_

The present (six years later)…

"No matter what the authorities do, the WWW crime spree has not let up at all. The most recent crime was at the power plant in the Government Complex, dubbed the 'WWW Electric Escapade', which happened about a week ago last Wednesday. Dozens at the party being held at the underwater restaurant could've suffocated from lack of oxygen being provided by an electric-powered source, if the virus Navi, named recently as 'Elec Man', had not been taken care of. The WWW operative was never captured, as he escaped during the beginning of the incident during the panic caused by the sudden blackout. Dr. Hikari was a guest at the party, but by pure luck he was called to do more work and left early, just before the incident began. However, his family was put into danger, but thanks to the resourcefulness of Netto Hikari--son of the famous doctor--the virus was taken care of. Heh… Maybe I should get a Navi and save the day myself! Hey, if a fifth grader can do it…"

The busy people down in Dentown went on with their busy lives, regardless of how much WWW crime has increased over the past few months in ACDC Town, the Government Complex, and the city itself. Activity was even lively in the low density business district, full of family owned shops and small businesses provided for the common people--even if it _was_ a Saturday. Through all the hustle and bustle, there seems to be one child more radiant than the rest of the musty crowd, a first grader around seven no doubt. She was a pretty green-eyed girl, with a big red ribbon wrapped around the top of her brown hair, making a little ponytail that stood up. Her red little coat dress waved back and forth, only exposing her the long sleeves of her white shirt, as her little boots carry her across the crowded sidewalk. Finally getting away from the crowd, she took her breath for a moment in front of a bakery, probably her destination, and then walked in. A wide woman with light gray hair suddenly stopped her rolling pin from behind the counter and noticed the little girl walk in.

"Oh hi little Kimi!" greeted the nice woman. "How are you this afternoon?"

"Hello Mrs. Niwaka!" greeted the girl, while the woman went up to the counter. "I'm fine, thank you. But there was such a crowd today… I could hardly breathe!"

"Well, the city hustling and bustling can do that to you sometimes. I bet I know why you're here." Mrs. Niwaka took up some specific loaves of bread from the counter display and put them all on a plate on top of the counter. She then wrapped it all in a bag and handed it to the little first grader. Kimi took it and held it with both her hands, her arms hanging down across her shirt.

"Thank you Mrs. Niwaka!" said Kimi, handing over some zenny from the pocket of her coat and giving a courteous bow.

"And Kimi--tell that father of yours that he should forget about work and come down here sometime. I'm sure he'll become an instant fan of my cinnamon rolls!"

"I sure will!" Kimi was about to leave, when some older boy came through on his black shoes with his hands in his pockets and straight to a round display of some loaves in the middle of the store. Kimi only caught a glimpse of his overshadowed face, with his grim frown and his lowered brow, squinting his darkened green eyes. He was wearing a black vest with the button of a suspicious, triangular bass guitar on his chest, over his dusty brown long-sleeved and slightly torn shirt while his hands still laid in the pockets of his dark gray jeans, which had some icons like a skull or biohazard icon. But Kimi could easily see the radiating, sun-like curls coming from the front brim of his hair that looked a bit devilish, with the rest of his hair curling downward in one long black spike… But he was just some customer, nothing more, so Kimi just stopped her curiosity right there and went out. However, after just about nine steps out of the store….

"HEY! COME BACK HERE!"

"Huh?" Kimi turned around and saw the same boy rushing out of the store, with Mrs. Niwaka trying to run after him. But the thief was more quick and energetic compared to the much older woman, and it wasn't long before she had to stop from lack of breath. While she kneeled down while breathing heavily, the lad gained distance and was soon out of sight. Kimi watched the whole thing, and reacted with an angry frown on her face.

***

The twelve year-old thief continued dashing, turning at a corner and into an open-ended alley between two buildings. He stopped and kneeled down to catch his breath, then took the bread from his pocket and stared at it. He gave off a mischievous grin.

"Heh…" smirked the hooligan. "So many slow adults in this town…" He started walking away, still looking at the bread and then stopped just near the other end of the alley. "I think I earned this…" The punk moved the loaf to his wide-opened mouth. His teeth were just about to bite right into the loaf, with a microscopic space between it and his chompers--Until he heard some footsteps coming from behind him. Still with the bread in his mouth, he cocked his head behind him and saw Kimi, trying her best to look brave and still carrying the bag from the bakery. The thief moved the bread away from his mouth and started throwing it upward and catching it repeatedly, turning around to the little girl and smiling sinisterly.

"Well well well…." he said, "what do we have here?"

"Your parents are gonna be mad if they find you stealing!" answered Kimi. "Poor Ms. Niwaka worked hard on that bread, so give it back! …Please?"

"OOOOO, you're _right_…." joked the thief. "They're gonna scold me and ground me, without any TV or Internet or--Oh, wait a minute…. They DIED WHEN I WAS ONLY _SIX YEARS OLD_!"

"…." Kimi felt sympathetic, even if he _did_ steal… "I didn't mean to… I'm…sorry…"

"Don't be. Enough people have felt sorry for me, but it hasn't gotten me anywhere, now _has it_? …._So_ you're like the little Net Battler after her virus, is that it?"

"Um…well I…"

"I sense a little fear in that uncertainty…" The punk stopped playing with the loaf and stuffed it back in his pocket. "Tell you what: Why don't we fight for the bread?"

"….Y-Y-You mean like…" The little first grader leans back a bit with her fists over her chest. The ruffian just stared widely at her, then looked away and smirked.

"Oh c'mon…" he answered. "I would only fistfight if my _life_ depended on it! And me versus an innocent little girl? Too low… What I meant was, a Navi battle!"

"…Oh, _that_… But, why won't you just give it back?"

"Living with no parents can be tough, kid. I need this for my lunch. So, you gonna fight or not? ….Or do you not _have_ a--"

"No no, I have one."

"Good… Follow me."

"Huh?" Kimi was taken by surprise as the thief started walking away to the other side of the alley, and then ran off. Kimi immediately gave chase as fast as she could.

***

The little girl was feeling frightened at where she ended up in, the bag swaying back and forth as she went along. It was a gray and dark place, with almost countless corridors at every turn. Rectangular columns of concrete had either sustained heavy cracking and damage while still trying to stand tall, or had fallen and created large piles of rubble and laid strewn about the pavement. Kimi looked around until he saw the punk himself, dangling one of his legs and looking to the roof in impatience as he sat high on a fallen pillar like it was his throne and fiddled around with the loaf once again.. Kimi slowly walked up to him, feeling _extremely_ nervous.

"Um… I'm here…" spoke the little girl cautiously. The thief heard her and turned his attention.

"Konnichiwa! Welcome to my palace," joked the thief, who leapt down from the pillar and set down the loaf on the column, then walked to Kimi.

"It seems so scary and…lonely," Kimi stated nervously.

"So, you ready?"

"W-why did you take me here?"

"It wouldn't be fair if that lady caught up to me in that alley and didn't give us anything to duel about. I'm _bored out of my mind_! Now, take it out and let's get started before I die of _boredom_!"

Kimi put down the bag and reached into her pocket, taking out a PET of her own custom colors: purple with a red jewel in the top left, and a blue/violet frame around the cover. She flipped it open, revealing silver buttons and a screen like all PETS have. Her opponent brought out his black PET from out of his right pocket. The two walked towards each other, and inserted each other's PET's spike into a hole next to the spikes. They held the devices there for a minute, then yanked them away from each other. The two turned away from each other, focused on their screens.

***

"Forte! Forte, wake up!"

"YAAWWWNNN…. What's up, Izumi?" asked the dark-looking Navi, awaking from his nap from being inactive in duties. (You probably _knew_ it was Izumi without me saying it, didn't you?). He was in a black void, where one single green door floated up from the endless bottom up towards Forte's level.

"Forte, you've got another Navi to duel," said Izumi to his partner.

"Really?" asked the Navi, sounding a bit enthusiastic. "Been a little while… About time I had myself something different from all the pathetic viruses lately!" Forte walked towards the door and opened it, exiting the void and entering onto a 6x3 battlefield of red and blue tiles, with a blue background full of animated yellow "DUEL!" signs with red borders floating about. Forte just stared in front of him, awaiting his opponent on the front row of his side of the battlefield while he stood on the blue side. Back in the real world, Izumi looked at Kimi.

"You ready yet?" he asked.

"Slider… Slider, are you awake?

The silhouette of an unidentifiable Navi gets up in response to its parter's call.

"What is it, Kimi?" asked the Navi in an obviously feminine voice. "Do you want to browse that online stuffed animal store again?"

"No no, not now. You have to fight with a Navi."

"…You don't duel me against other people's Navis much… What's the cause?"

"I'm fighting to get a piece of bread back for Mrs. Niwaka from a thief."

"A _thief_?! Don't worry Kimi, leave it to me! I'll deal with this and help you get it back!"

Kimi smiled. "Thanks, I know you'll win! …Just, be careful." Slider gave back a reassuring wink. She looked away from the screen and back at Izumi. "I'm ready."

"Okay then…" answered Izumi, turning back at the screen. "Forte, here it comes!"

Forte awaited his opponent, when he suddenly noticed a figure stepping out from the door and onto the battlefield. "So, this is my opponent, eh--**?!?**"

The Navi that came out somehow took him by surprise. Slider EXE was a blue-eyed female, late teens it looked, with two large blue stripes coming down across her cheeks from the bottom of her eyes. Her helmet was purple with a violet front, where a big round red jewel in a silver frame was attached to the forehead and connecting three thick silver strands of metal, each curling to the back of her head and looking like the top half of a gyro sphere. Where here ears were to be, two more red jewels were placed, and a long strip of blue hair flowed downward from under the helmet. Most of her body was in a violet jumpsuit, with a purple one-piece suit with yet a fourth, larger jewel on the chest. Her hands were in purple fingerless gloves with her fingers in the violet jumpsuit showing, and thick silver bracelets around her wrists. Her boots had two silver rings on the top and another around the ankles, and a rectangular strip on the front going downward from the top and ending before the ankles showed more of the violet. Forte just blinked and continued staring. Slider lowered one brow and kept the other up, with her hands on her hips, wondering what was wrong with her present adversary.

"…Are you OK?" she asked curiously.

"Forte?" Izumi asked. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing…" Forte answered back. "It's just that…I've never faced a _girl_ Navi before…much less _seen_ one…"

"Well we're as tough as any other boy Navi you've ever faced," assured Slider, putting up her fist and smirking with confidence.

"Forte, don't worry about it so much," backed up Forte's partner. "Just kick her ass like all the other rivals and viruses."

"Heh-heh…" Forte snickered, getting out of his amazement and placing his hand over his blaster from under his poncho. "How right you are…"

"…Hey, Mr. Forte…" innocently asked Kimi.

"What is it, kid?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Um, sure, ask away…"

"Why are you in a dress?"

"….." Forte just stood there and gets all upset, frowning and with an anger vein flashing on the right side of his head. Slider tried to contain her giggling.

"It's not a dress, Kimi," said Slider EXE. "It's called a poncho."

"_Thank_ you," thanked Forte for the clear-up.

"But, may _I_ ask something?"

"…What?"

"_Why_ a poncho, exactly?"

"…." Forte turned away and shook his fist in anger, looking down and frowning even more. "Does _everyone_ have a bad fashion sense?" mumbled the peeved Navi to himself. He turned back, looking normal, at Slider. "Can we _please_ just start the battle already?"

"Oh, sorry…" Slider giggled once more, then put up her fists and leaned forward on her left leg in a fighting stance (somewhat similar to Rockman EXE's). Forte just stood there with an evil smile widening on his face.

Out of nowhere, yellow letters appeared between their sides and changed from "READY…" to "BEGIN!". Forte thrusted both his hands turned blasters from under his old poncho and fired and endless barrage of tiny shots in front of him. Slider EXE did a backflip to the right back corner of her side, the blasts following her, and she moved across the bottom row and to the next in a zig-zag motion. While the left blaster kept following her, Forte held back his right blaster and came from the other side, in an attempt to trap Slider between the streams of fire. But Slider jumped high into the air, and charged the jewel on her left palm, charging up while she went higher and then fired a large blue/white blast from it at the peak of her jump. Forte saw it coming and leaned down diagonally, the blast barely singeing the top of his hand as it went by him and exploded in back of him. However, Slider immediately fired some little shots from the jewel on her head as soon as she landed, four of which struck his cheek and pushed his head away. On Izumi's PET screen, Forte's health bar went down a tiny bit. Forte looked miffed about being hit, and turned back at Slider. He got back up, and leaped towards Slider and swung his fist hard at Slider's face, causing an eighth of her health bar on Kimi's screen to go down.

"Oh no!" Kimi whined, "Mama, are you OK?"

"_MAMA?_" thought both Izumi and Forte, looking at the girl (Forte staring at a little screen way above Slider's side).

"Ugh…" Slider groaned, rubbing her cheek, "he's a _powerful_ Navi…."

"Heh… You think so?" mocked Forte, standing up and snickering sinisterly.

"Don't worry, Slider," reassured Kimi to her damaged Navi, "I'll give you some Battle Chips!" Kimi pressed one of the buttons of the PET with her thumb to bring up the Battle Chip subscreen on the main screen. While Kimi was choosing her Chips, a shield of gray rectangular pellets going upward surrounded Slider. Forte growled with annoyance.

"Great," he said, "I can't attack her while she's choosing chips! *SIGH*… Hey Izumi! _You_ wanna choose some for me?"

"Eh, why not?" remarked Izumi, as he went to chose _his_ chips and formed another shield around Forte EXE. Kimi finished first, Izumi a few seconds after. 

The two Navis got into their original battle poses again like they did in the beginning. Forte started looking for and getting out something from under his poncho, which Silder noticed. He leaped to one square behind him--meaning he was in the exact middle of his side--and chucked a Big Bomb at Slider's side. Slider's eyes widened as she recognized the attack and tried jumping off of the ground, but the bomb hit and blew up in the middle of her side. All nine squares were blasted, and Slider was struck down and landed on her back with a loud "THUMP!". Slider got back up and rubbed her back, then saw Forte charging up and about to fire again. Forte shot the charged shotwave, but she sidestepped out of the way into the top row, and the shot just vanished as it went over the edge of the battlefield. Slider immediately released a Ratton2 on Forte's side, and Forte saw it out of the corner of his eye before it slid down the column and caused at least a ninth of his remaining health to go down. Slider took this chance to charge up a blast, and while Forte was brushing off the feeling she leapt in front of him and struck him with a half-charged blast. Forte gritted his teeth widely and reached out his right arm, where a Wide Sword formed. Forte immediately slashed her with it, grinning with satisfaction. Slider had about 11/16ths of her health left. Kimi and Izumi started choosing more chips again, and the fight was paused for a second.

After the pause, Slider lept to the back row and threw out a Wave, sending three miniature waves that flowed through all three rows. Forte just stood there and took the hit, knowing he could not evade it. No matter, for it caused minimal damage to him. Forte fought back with a Hi-Cannon, but Slider jumped out of the way again to the bottom back corner. Forte shot another Hi-Cannon, and Slider jumped out of the way again to the top middle block, but he then threw a Quake 3 that caught the female Navi off guard and _crushed_ her, not only taking out a portion of health but also cracking the tile itself. Slider moved around the battlefield--the tile disappearing after she moved off of it--and released a Thunder 2 out on Forte's side, which slowly moved a ball of electricity from one square to the next. Forte just snickered at it and joked around with it, moving behind it slowly as it advanced. Slider grinned and started a Lock-On 1, which had a lock-on target go through the top row and to the next in a zig-zag motion. Forte was caught in the middle front square by the lock-on, and immediately was pelted with bullets that took off a small portion of his health for each one. But the Thunder 2 caught up with him as well, and zapped him to cause even more damage. Forte tried to move back a square, and he was jolted by the surge of electricity--he was all of a sudden down by 3/8ths in health. Forte got angry and slashed a Hero Sword at her, which was unavoidable and left Slider EXE with only 3/8ths of health left herself. Kimi moaned in disappointment while Izumi snickered in delight. Slider was still standing, but breathing heavily from exhaustion and grasping the left side of her stomach. (By this time, the square that disappeared reappeared.)

"….Mama?" said Kimi, losing hope for the battle.

"_What the...?_" Forte thought, hearing Kimi's faint call. "_That's the second time… Why DOES she call her Navi that?_"

"Ergh…." moaned Slider EXE, slowly approaching Forte. Her opponent brushed off the confusion and laughed in pleasure at her current status. "You're some Navi…"

"Well I _am_ undefeated," Forte boasted.

"You know, I sorta ….believe you."

Slider finally reached in front of him and just stood there, staring at his eyes.

"I tried so hard…" she remarked. "But, I can't go on… Why don't I just give up here and now with a hearty handshake, hm?"

"Mama…?" Kimi whined, not believing that her own Navi had suddenly turned chicken. "No… Don't give up Slider…

"Forte, I don't like this…" Izumi added in. Slider extended her hand to Forte, who just blinked.

"….Okay then," Forte answered, smiling. "There's no shame in admitting you're beaten. Admitting is the first step, after all…" He got closer and grabbed her hand. Slider grinned, and all of a sudden the jewel on her chest started glowing. "What the...?"

"…Forte, you dumbass," Izumi insulted, a bit humiliated at his Navi's gullibility. Slider placed her hands around it immediately and led out a large light blue ring shot out that wrapped itself around Forte's waist. A light of the same color consumed the black Navi's entire body, causing him to scream in immense pain. A few seconds, and the ring stopped and retreated back into the jewel of Slider EXE. She jumped away from Forte, who looked like he was shivering nervously. Slider EXE gave a split-second moment of a light blue radiance around the frame of her body.

"WHAT…DID YOU JUST **DO TO ME?!**" he demanded.

"It's one of my special moves--Energy Zap! I just drained half of your health into mine. Thanks!" she complimented.

"But, that was…cheating," Kimi said.

"I'm sorry Kimi, but…I just wanna help get Ms. Niwaka's bread back for you!"

"It's called 'survival', because this bread is all the food I'm getting!" fought back Izumi. Forte mysteriously started snickering, which Slider did not expect at all.

"Gotta say, I'm mighty impressed…. Personally though, it was just luck that you struck me first…."

"What?" Slider asked.

"I was gonna slam my fist in your gut before you made your move, but…you were faster. I shouldn't have taken such a stupid risk."

"…." Slider didn't know how to respond to this remark and just stood there. The gray shields go up, and then the fight starts again (hopefully you're not TOO bored by now…).

For Forte's move, he mysteriously made Slider's tiles flash randomly. However, Slider seemed to have recognized the attack. Slider decided to jump in the air like she did during the beginning and charged up her blaster while she ascended. But Forte caught her by surprise and performed a Dash in mid-air before she could blast, sending him to the edge of the battlefield and back to his own and her down to the ground. Forte aimed it just right for her to warp from the top side and land in the bottom middle tile, where a Mine 3 blew up as she landed rear first and practically took all of the health she drained away--and a little more. Forte lined up in the bottom row with her and was going to blast her, but she retaliated with a Tri-Spear and skewered him three times, leaving the black Navi with just a little more that 2/8ths health remaining. Forte was showing fatigue as he stood still for a moment to breathe, and Slider took this chance to shock him with a Ring Zap. Forte got _really_ angry and slammed her with a Guts Punch by using the Buster Punch battle card, sending her flying to the back row. Slider shook her head from the shock, but saw to her dismay Forte dropping down a Dynamite 1 in her row, which immediately detected her and took off even more help. Forte then dropped to the floor and kneeled, breathing heavily, while Slider EXE took a moment to slowly rise on her two feet, also breathing as heavily as her opponent. Slider charged up, and Forte widened his eyes in shock. He let out both blasters, but Slider shot him with a half-charged blast and caused him to scream in pain. Izumi and Kimi, meanwhile, were sweating like crazy. The status now was Forte EXE with only a tiny slip of health left, and Slider with 1/16th left. Clearly Slider would be the victor. She slowly walked up to Forte, dragging her left leg behind and clenching her right shoulder. Forte himself was breathing even more heavily and was unable to stand at all. He looked down at the ground until Slider overshadowed him, in which they exchanged stares. Slider slowly raised her right hand and pointed it at his face.

"I guess…we know who's gonna win this one…" Slider EXE said, feeling bad physically but good spiritually.

"Yeah…I guess the one who loses is gonna be--

"**YOU!!!"**

BAM!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

A surprise attack from Forte--a fully charged blast--hit her right in the chest and sent her flying to the back. Her whole body laid there, and two signs came up on each side of the battlefield. Slider's was red and said "LOSE", while Forte's was blue and said "WIN". Forte and Izumi smiled, and Kimi whimpered and frowned heavily, almost like she was gonna cry. Slider slowly lifted her head, and to her amazement saw a gaping hole in Forte's poncho, showing his black and purple jumpsuit overlapped by his blaster. She then stared at him.

"Heh…" he snickered, "I _do_ have a good fashion sense after all, don't I? But…_damn_, now my poncho's _ruined_!"

"….I'm sorry Kimi…" Slider said. "I…tried my best…"

"It's OK…." Kimi answered back, trying to give the credit her Navi deserved.

"Don't be upset--Slider was it?" told Forte EXE to Slider EXE. "I'll admit, you did good…for a _girl_." Slider got peeved and slowly frowned at the sexist comment. The two Navis' warped out--Slider in a violet beam, Forte in a black one--and little Kimi moped in disappointment while Izumi cruely smirked. He got a report on his earnings from the fight, but instead of Zenny he got a special Level 1 battle card of Slider EXE herself.

"Heh, doesn't look half bad," remarked Izumi to the card. He accepted the offer and closed his PET, putting it back into his pocket and grabbing the piece of baked goods. "Guess that makes this piece _mine_," gloated Izumi, throwing the bread up one last time and grasping it in his right hand. "C'mon, I'll lead you back to the way out."

***

Izumi led the first grader to the poorly shaped opening to what seemed to be a run-down building in the middle of an abandoned construction lot, not demolished for some reason and the actual identity of Izumi's "home". The lair was placed in what seemed to be the old part of Dentown, practically abandoned and run down, with a sense that this was a separate world altogether which had never heard the word "Technicolor".

"*SIGH*… Bye…." Kimi bowed in respects, and slowly walked away, depressed and trying to carry the bag all the way. Izumi just looked at her as she ran off, then to the bread and back at her again.

"**HEY! KID!"**

"Hm?" Kimi turned around just a few feet before she reached the end of the lot and suddenly saw the loaf of bread flying towards her. She tried catching it with both hands, but then it fumbled out of them and she grabbed it just before it hit the ground a second time. Kimi couldn't guess why it happened, but she saw back at the entrance Izumi just standing there and smiling.

"…But…" Kimi yelled, "Um, excuse me--"

"Go ahead and have it."

"What?"

"I like your courage, kid!" shouted back Izumi. "How you tried to stand up against me, even _if_ I was so much older… We could use more people like you! Sayonara!" With that Izumi walked back into the dark dungeon where he dwelled. Kimi couldn't understand what happened, but all she knew was that she had something to return right away, and thus began to run off.

"…Getting a little soft there, are we?" commented Forte EXE from a miniature earpiece in Izumi's ear, with an electronic link to Forte's PET.

"_Shut up_," Izumi said, still walking into the building. "You of all people should agree with me on this! With that Netto kid battling the WWW, the Net Battlers are looking more useless than they already were. She's another prime example of why we don't need them anymore, the lazy bastards! …I hope she doesn't go astray…"

"…Yeah, you're right, us being one of the _biggest_ Net Battler haters around!"

"What I _still_ can't understand is that whole 'Mama' thing…"

"…You don't think that that Navi was really….?"

"…..*PFFT* NAH!" both exclaim, excusing the ridiculous idea.

***

"And thank you, Kimi, thank you _so much _for doing such a thing!" complemented Ms. Niwaka from the bakery as the little "heroine" walked out of the place.

"You're welcome," Kimi replied back with a smile. "Bye Ms. Niwaka!" Kimi walked out and went along her way, this time with _much_ fewer people then earlier that day.

"I still wonder why he gave it back to me…" Kimi said to herself as she walked along the sidewalk. "Maybe deep down inside, he's nicer than he looks."

"Could be," added Slider Exe from the earpiece in Kimi's ear.

"I feel sorry for him… He's so alone, no wonder he has to be so mean sometimes…"

"He and his Navi _do_ act a bit like the same way, though… I wonder if--"

"Slider, do _I_ act like _you_ sometimes?"

"Not really… But I'll admit, you kinda acted like me back there, trying to get back Ms. Niwaka's loaf. Looks like you're becoming a bit braver!"

"Thanks, that's nice to hear," Kimi replied, turning around a left corner. "But I can't get that boy out of my head. I still can't believe he has to be so lonely and miserable…"

"….Kimi, is there something you want to tell me?"

"What?"

"You can tell me. I won't tell _anyone_ else!"

"….!!!" Kimi stopped in her tracks and started blushing, realizing what her Navi was implying. "_I don't have a crush on him! _He's much more older than me anyway!"

"…I'm sorry Kimi, I didn't mean to embarrass you like that. Just that you're a growing girl and all, and…you _did _kind of think Netto looked cute the first time you saw him on your first day of school--"

"SLIDER!" Kimi was feeling _really_ embarrassed now, withdrawing back and trying to cover up her redness. A stout man in a brown business suit walked by and turned to the little girl for a moment.

"…Meh," he said, and went on his way.

"Oops, you're right, I was supposed to not remind you… I'm sorry Kimi!"

"It's all right…" Kimi got rid of her deep shade of crimson and started walking again. "Besides, Meiru's his girlfriend, isn't she? I don't want to interfere."

"_Oh yeah_… Though Netto's a little _dense_ about it, isn't he? …You think your dad's gonna be home this time?"

"I hope so, but, he's always working… I at least wanna tell him about Ms. Niwaka's rolls today before I forget!"

"Don't worry, I'll remember for you!"

"Thanks Slider, you're always a big help." Kimi stopped at a crosswalk with a bunch of other people, waiting for the "DON'T WALK" sign to change.

"…Hey Kimi?" Slider mentioned to Kimi while she stood there.

"Yeah?"

"You called me 'mama' back there…"

"You don't like me calling you that?"

"No no, not at all! It's just…well… You know how much I appreciate it. Thanks."

"You're welcome." The sing changed to "WALK", and the little girl went along with the rest of the crown across the street.

"…Hey Kimi?"

"Yes, Slider?"

"Do you…remember where that thief's home was?"

"Kinda… Why?"

"I….I want to fight that Navi again."

"WHAT?" Kimi asked to her friend with surprise as she got to the other side of the road. "But, why?"

"Could you just take me back there someday again, _please_? As a favor?"

"But, I don't wanna go back there… I don't like that spooky building."

"Aw Kimi, don't worry! I'll make sure to look out for you, I promise! Nothing bad's gonna happen!"

"…Then maybe next Saturday, OK?"

"OK." As Kimi Browser walked along the streets, Slider EXE, in her own little black void, thought deeply to herself. "_That Navi was POWERFUL… Maybe if I beat him, Kimi will think the same for me! I need to give her all the support I can give her… If she doubts me, I won't be able to. …*SIGH*… _"

****

__

One week later, Saturday…

Little Kimi looked around just outside the empty lot to see if anyone was looking or following her (even _if_ the place seemed desolate), and then rushed right in, in a hurry to get this over with. She navigated herself through the dungeon-like building, feeling uneasy and scared like she did before, and was hoping that nothing…horrifying…would suddenly jump out and attack (hey, she _was_ fairly young).

"Don't worry Kimi," reassured Slider EXE, "there's nothing to be afraid of here. Just remember, monsters and ghosts are make-believe!"

"I h-hope so…" Kimi answered back, biting on the tip of her thumb. The first grader finally got to the empty space where the duel was held last week, but sadly he was not on the pillar. Hesitant, she looked around some more, finally seeing a plight of stairs in the far back. After searching through about six floors of what seemed to be an old office building, Kimi Browser heard some tapping from the far right side of a long hallway. The little girl slowly tip-toed along and slowly creaked the door open. Amongst four rows of computers, there sat the rebel in the second row, typing fast on the second computer from the right. Kimi let open the door some more, careful not to alert him in any way. However, as soon as she got her body through the door, she almost tripped but stopped herself by grabbing onto the side of the nearest computer desk. This caused a small sound which made Izumi look up and see around him. He saw nothing out of the ordinary in the room.

"Hmmmm…" Meanwhile, Kimi took cover by crouching behind the computers and felt nervous about being discovered. But then….

"**A-HA!"**

"**EEEEEEEEKK!"**

Izumi crept up on her and lunged his left arm at her, causing the frightened female to shriek with surprise and fear. Kimi cowered away from him, but he himself became puzzled at the girl's presence.

"What the he--um, heck…?" he said, and placed his arms on his hips. "You again? Why of all places are _you_ here?" Kimi sensed that Izumi had no attention to hurt her, so she finally looked at him and slowly got up.

"Well, I…I…I--"

"While I'm _young_?"

"I…I wanted to…battle with you again."

"….And _why_, exactly? Not that I have anything against it, but--"

"Actually, my…Navi wanted to fight yours again. Is…is that OK? I didn't mean to come uninvited…"

"….." Izumi turned away from her and got back to the computer, where Forte EXE was walking through the Net onscreen. Kimi came over and observed Izumi typing.

"Hey, Forte," typed in Izumi. Forte immediately paid attention. "Remember that chick Navi that almost kicked your butt last week?"

"SHE DID NOT!!" Forte protested, infuriated at the idea itself and almost steaming from the ears.

"Yeah, well, seems she's here and wants a rematch."

"..._Really_… Heh, guess she's the 'keep learning from your mistakes' kind of Navi."

"OOOOO…" Slider protested, but only Kimi heard (or read) her cry. "I swear, that thickheaded Navi…"

"Well, virus busting and web surfing's getting old right about now… Put her in and I'll give it a go!"

Izumi pointed to the screen on his left, and Kimi got the idea and sat in the seat and turned it on.

"Do these computers still work?" asked Kimi curiously.

"Yeah, seemed that everyone _thought_ they shut down. But now I've got a good way to go on the Net, and the phone company itself doesn't seem to notice--or care, in either case.."

Kimi took out her PET and inserted it into the computer, releasing Slider EXE into it. Forte was instantly transported from the Net to the black void, and then on to the blue side of the 6x3 battlefield. Slider appeared on the red side shortly thereafter.

"Either you're _very_ determined," said Forte EXE, "_very_ thickheaded, or…you can't resist my manly charms." Forte leans his head and places two of his fingers around his chin, giving off a pearly-white grin. Slider frowned in disgust.

"…And I see you _still_ have a poor taste in clothing," Slider EXE complained back. Forte EXE had a hidden anger vein on the back of his head.

"…This better not become a running gag…" muttered Forte to himself.

"Wait, before we start, could I make a request?"

"Hm?"

"I want this duel battle chip-free. This fight should rely on just our own attacks."

"Hmmm…. Interesting…" said Izumi as he observed the conversation on the screen.

"Slider…" said Kimi, "are you sure about this? It sounds too dangerous."

"Don't worry, Kimi," told the female Navi to her partner, "I'll be fine. Just watch me, I'll send him flying to deletion!" Forte gave off a soft laugh, amused by her threats.

"Very well then," he told his opponent. "No battle chips, just our own blood and sweat (if we had any). I warn you though…" The confident dark one took out his arms from under his poncho and bent his right arm upward, grasping his upper right arm with his left hand and positioning his right hand like some open claw. "You're gonna regret that proposal _dearly_…"

****

"READY?"

"BEGIN!"

Slider was taken by surprise as Forte's right arm started glowing, changing colors at a fast rate and with two thin white rings going up and down it.

"I'd advise you to start moving if I were you," told Izumi to Kimi's Navi with a sinister smile on his mouth. Slider stepped back to the tile behind her, obviously intimidated, as the glowing started getting faster and faster…

**"TAKE _THIS_!"** Forte screamed as he let go of his right arm and thrusted it forward with his fingers curled toward his open palm. Slider witnessed the tile in front of her glowing like Forte's arm, temporarily paralyzed in wonderment and fear. Not hesitating, she lept out into the top row, dodging a _huge_ wave of energy that zoomed across the battlefield. As she stood there kneeling, she saw the top front tile glowing the same way and immediately jumped out of the way again, another wave zooming. She was forced to leap again and again, the wave only missing her by a nano-second, and jumped all across the battlefield. Forte smirked with cruel pleasure. Slider leapt to the middle row from the bottom, but she was caught off guard as she leapt to the top one, for another wave skipped the middle row and plowed through the top one. She was completely shocked as she saw it going at her, and was sent dropping to the ground with a "THUD!" after the wave shocked her with immense energy. She struggled to get up, but she got struck yet again just as she was about to get up on one of her knees. Forte smiled even more with twisted delight. Forte started charging up his right blaster, and Slider saw it with shock as she lifted her upper body up with her arm. The blast was shot, but the violet heroine was lucky to already be on the ground and simply ducked down. It barely hit any main part of her body, but it scorched the top of her top band from her helmet. Forte put down his arm and let Slider get up, slowly but steady. Kimi was worrying from outside in the real world as she saw Slider's health down by 3/8ths so early in the fight. Izumi was pleased with the performance and was smiling wide. Slider EXE finally got up, slouching a bit and gritting her teeth in anger.

"Maybe you should try and cheat again," Forte mocked, followed by a cruel snickering. Slider scowled even more from the mocking. Slider had herself stand upright, and walked to the middle row. Slider spread her arms out towards Forte, and the rings on her wrists started enlarging. Forte just watched all this in awe, but then just smirked at it, thinking it was nothing. Slider grabbed the rings and threw them at him, but Forte simply sidestepped to the bottom row and snickered. The rings missed him.

"Oh, how _intimidating--_**ACK!**" Forte EXE was bashed in the back by one of the rings, which looped back through the side row while its counterpart did the same in the top row. Forte rubbed the back of his head and gritted his teeth, Slider smiling as the rings went back on her wrists.

"You… YOU **BI--**"

"FORTE!" Izumi yelled out at his Navi before Forte could finish his curse. The black Navi looked at his partner, puzzled but got the idea when he saw Izumi nudging his head towards Kimi's seat. Kimi saw Izumi's behavior and couldn't make anything of it with her youthful mind. Forte moped.

"_Dammit, and after all those years I thought I was finally free of censor--_**ACK!**" Forte paid the price for not paying attention and got hit with a charged shot from Slider EXE. Forte looked at the smiling female and scowled even more in rage.

"Guess you're not that confident now, huh?" asked Slider mockingly.

"…YOU WILL **PAY FOR THAT!!**" Forte lept in Slider's row and thrusted out his right blaster, shooting out a yellow shotwave that Slider easily avoided. Forte started charging up his arm again while Slider charged up both of her hands. Forte got both of his blasters firing out a barrage of small fire, sweeping along the rows as his body waved back and forth. Slider dashed along the battlefield with the fire trailing behind her, sliding under it when she had to go across it. Slider shot out one complete blast from her left hand, but Forte ceased his fire and leapt out of the way to the top back corner and suddenly took a wide jump at Slider, who was now in the front top tile. Slider opened her mouth in surprise as she suddenly stopped, and the dark warrior gave a high kick to her jaw (Crescent Kick for any large Rockman fans that know what I'm referring to) and sent her fumbling to the tile in back of her with her hand rubbing her jaw. Forte smirked and charged up once more, now releasing the energy waves again. Slider decided to decrease the damage by leaping into the air and simply dodging the waves, the top of them barely missing the tip of her feet. Slider caught him by surprise and shot out her right complete blast, whip lashing his head back and stopping the waves because of his break in concentration. Slider started enlarging her rings as she landed and threw them through the top row. Both hit him right in the mug as he turned back to see her and looped back to her wrists. Kimi smiled in joy as she watched on, while Izumi grumbled and slouched in his seat with his arms crossed. The current score: Forte in the lead with 9/16ths of his health, versus Slider with half remaining.

"YOU'RE….GETTING ON MY NERVES, _WOMAN_…" growled Forte EXE, his anger rising by the minute. He started charging once more, then thrusted out his hand again. This time, it wasn't just the front tile of a row glowing, but many different ones all around the place. Slider looked all around and saw her surrounded by them, all except two--one of which she was standing on--glowing. She was startled by the sudden high column of energy that rose out of the tile in front of her and to the sides and back of her. She looked down and saw her tile glowing, so she quickly moved to the bottom left corner. But alas, she didn't see that this one was getting ready too, and so she was left out of time to dodge and met the full fury of the attack. The energy surged through her body, causing her to whelp in pain from the shock. The columns disappeared, and so she positioned herself carefully through the forest of damage, moving in an bolt-like pattern towards Forte while charging up both of her hands. She leapt in front of Forte, but got caught in a column in mid-air just as she was about to get in his face and crash-landed to the floor. Kimi started whimpering a little while Izumi threw imaginary punches while he urged on his relentless Navi. The sinister black fighter grinned mockingly and raised his foot up to slam it down on poor Slider's back. (He can be such a _bastard_, can't he?) But suddenly, Slider got most of her upper body raised and oddly smiled, Forte raising his brow in curiosity and with his foot still suspended. Slider's chest jewel started glowing, and Forte widened his eyes and became menacing, remembering how he was fooled last time, and slammed his foot down. Slider EXE, however, was fortunate enough to shoot out a big ray of red light that froze Forte EXE temporarily and engulfed his body just as his foot was about to slam on her head.

"What in the…" Izumi asked, curious what she was doing. Slider EXE got herself upright (I dare you to keep count of how many times she's done that so far in the chapter :P) while the ray kept glowing. The radiance retreated, and Forte slammed his foot down on nothing. Forte wondered where she was, and looked up to see a Slider EXE holding up her open left hand.

"Hi," said the heroine while Forte looked on puzzling, just before Slider shot out--a shotwave just like his?! Forte was sent to the floor and landed with a "BASH!" on his head, and he rubbed his cranium while starting to get up.

"…HOW IN THE HE--_WORLD_, **DID YOU JUST DO THAT?!**"

"Another special trick of mine: Weapon Scan!"

"…Oh you unoriginal bi--_annoyance_," insulted Forte EXE, grumbling afterwards because his partner prohibited swearing (which he was _so_ accustomed to). Forte decided to shoot the real deal from his own blaster, and Slider leapt out of the way into the middle row. Forte lined up with her and started charging up his arm, but his rival shot out the wrist rings again. Being familiar with it by now, Forte waited and then jumped out of the middle row, and looked behind him and jumped towards the middle row again. But Slider shot out a copied shotwave in the row, which Forte EXE saw and thus had himself leap back to the side row. But he was only fast on his feet, for the ring slipped his mind and whacked him on the side of the head, sending him to the middle row again and thus meeting the force of the shotwave as well. Forte was _extremely_ pissed by this time, clenching his teeth wide and hard as he stared at his rival, thinking of how to hurt her _severely_. Both Kimi and Izumi were getting on the edge of their seats, for now both had only 2/8ths of their health remaining.

Forte kept on snarling in rage, but then Slider heard some murmuring coming from him. She couldn't make out what he was saying, but her guess was it was directed to Izumi. Speaking of which, the black-haired loner listened through the earpiece so as not to give away anything to Kimi, and Izumi nodded in agreement. Kimi just kept looking at the screen like children to their favorite show. What happened next caught Slider EXE completely off guard: a gray field engulfed Forte EXE, meaning that he was going to use battle cards. He had just broken the agreement made just before the battle. 

"But…you said no chips!" complained Kimi, scolding Izumi. "You lied!

"I'd keep watching if I were you…" replied Izumi, not phased by the little girl's anger. Kimi was hesitant in turning back, but she did and went back to guiding her Navi. The black betrayer swung his right arm slowly towards the back, and within his hand emerged a Hero Sword. Slider's eyes widened just before he swung it at her and caused damage. Slider wrapped her arm around her tummy like it was just scarred, and shot out a shotwave that Forte easily dodged. Forte EXE, now in the middle top tile, started charging up his blaster, but Slider tried shooting out an Energy Zap ring at him, so he stopped and got out of its way. But Slider retaliated with yet another toss of her rings, which--_yes, again_--hit him as they spun back. Forte was damaged, but didn't seem to care about it, even if the both of them were almost at the end of their rope. Forte shot out an original shotwave that Slider missed by leaping to the top back corner, and then he lined up and shot another one, which Slider avoided again by leaping to the bottom back corner. Forte smiled.

"**HAH!"** he screamed as he opened his palm at Slider and instigated a battle card. All of the female Navi's tiles--besides the one she was standing on--suddenly lossened out of place and fell to the endless void below one by one, leaving her alone and unmovable in the corner. This was the effect of Geddon 2. Slider looked around her in panic at her predicament.

"Why….WHY DID YOU LIE TO ME?!" screamed Slider to Forte. Forte gained a serious expression on his face.

"That's just how life is," he answered back. Slider was a bit puzzled, so he kept on going. "I meant to break our deal from the start--I was just waiting for the right moment. For you see, fairness is fading away in the world today."

"…." Slider could not think of an answer.

"No matter how much one's been good in his life, he'll never be treated fairly in his life. Bad things happen to good people…just like my partner's parents dying when he was only six years old…. Nowadays, with all the evil organizations and the rapid growth of viruses, you must learn how to trick the enemy in order to survive. Viruses--and even humans--are _merciless_! Nothing can be won by sheer goodness anymore. Survival of the fittest reigns supreme now. You must be strong. You must be cunning. You must be relentless. But above all, you must be unfair to all obstacles, and that includes being deceitful…just like _I_ deceived _you_! Guess you learned something after all from your mistakes, huh?"

"…._That's so sad_…" thought Kimi about Forte's little speech. "_It sounds like he's empty inside_…"

"And now…" said Forte, getting out both arms and starting to charge for a special attack again. "Sayonara."

In desperation, Slider gave a shotwave towards him, but unfortunately there was no ground for it to flow on, and so it plummeted to the abyss below. Forte finished charging, and released a barrage of bullets towards her. Slider knew nothing else to do but cross her arms to bear the blow--and form a round red shield wrapping her entire body. Forte wondered what significance it held, but noticed Slider wiggling a little like she was still being hurt…

"Forte!" commanded Izumi to his Navi through the earpiece. "Her health is still going down--but slowly. Looks like it's only decreasing the pain. One or two more _mega_ hits should do her in, you're almost done Forte!" Kimi looked to him and back, worrying about losing yet another battle…then suddenly, an idea sparked from her head!

"Mama!" spoke Kimi, reaching her friend through the earpiece. "You might lose if you go on …Why don't you try your special attack?"

"…You mean… But," said Slider, "he's not a normal virus! I don't know if it'll work."

"You _got_ to try it! _Please_ try it!"

"….Give me a battle card. I need him to stand still…"

"But….

"I know Kimi, I'd be going back on the deal too…"

"_What the hell is taking so long?_" thought Forte EXE. "_Dammit, can't this battle END already?!_"

"But… Why do you want to win this?

"I…I… …I'll tell you after I win, OK?"

"…OK." Just after Forte ceased his attack, Slider let down the shield and Kimi brought up the battle card menu, thus bringing up the gray field around the violet fighter.

"Heh, you've wised up," said Forte in response.

"_I hope this helps_…" thought Slider, praying on the card she was given. She swings out her arm, and from the sky three Rock Cubes plummeted onto the battlefield, one in the top middle tile, another just in back of it, and the last in the back tile of the left row. Forte looked at the one way behind him and thought nothing of it.

"Feh. What a useless--" Forte interrupts himself, for something snaps in his brain--er, AI. All at once, some horrifying images go surging through his head as he fixates on the cube and gets in a tremendous rage. All these images seem to have some shadowy figure…a menacing shadowy figure…

"You dare…**MOCK ME WITH _THIS?!_**" Forte dashes to the cube and starts punching away at it. Slider can't make any sense of the madness.

"**FORTE!! WHAT ARE YOU _DOING?!_**" exclaimed Izumi. "**FOCUS ON _HER_!!**"

"_Now's my chance_…" Slider didn't waste time and put both her hands next to each other. The jewels on her palms and on her head started glowing, and a light blue radiance shone around the three jewels as she powered up for her "special attack". Forte had pummeled most of the top off of the cube, when he noticed the glowing and turned around. Her eyes were closed as she concentrated.

"**FORTE! ATTACK HER NOW!**" Izumi's command reached his Navi, and so he started powering up as well. But he became startled as Slider opened her eyes, and spread out her arms. The radiance intensified, and three thick beams of blue light spread between the three jewels, forming a triangle. Forte tried charging up faster, but he could do no such thing.

"….**TRI-BEAM!**" A light blue triangular laser shot out towards Forte, paralyzed with fear, and he met the full fury of it as it continued on through him.

"**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHhhhhhh….**"

Nothing was left of Forte, except the faint echoes of his scream. "WIN!" appeared on Slider's side (while she grinned and putting her left fist up), while "LOSE!" appeared on Forte's side. He reappeared, and kneeled to the floor, disgraced at his defeat. Izumi's face was chiseled in shock with his mouth wide open, while Kimi's mouth was wide open in happiness and admiration for her Navi, her eyes twinkling as well. All the tiles on Slider's side reappeared, and Slider walked up to the edge of her side while Forte humiliatingly dragged himself up to her. They exchanged glances.

"…Dammit, I wish I didn't flip out there…" scolded Forte to himself.

"Why _did_ you, anyways?" she asked.

"None of your business… What I wanna know is…_why_ did you make that deal? _Why_ was this fight so _important_ to you?"

"Well… If you must know…" Slider leaned up towards his ear and whispered in it. "I wanted to look strong to my partner…for her sake." Forte's eyes widened at the remark. "I thought that if I defeated you, I would make sure she wouldn't doubt my strength again. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to support her that much if she doubted me. Maybe you should try something with _your_ partner sometime." Forte kept staring onward at nothing as Slider drew back. Kimi received the data (her spoils from the victory), and received the "Forte" battle card.

"He looks scary…" said Kimi. Izumi lowered his head in defeat, and the both of them jacked out, the Navis disappearing from the battlefield.

"…You know the way out?" asked Izumi.

"Yes…" answered Kimi.

"Then you'll understand if I don't lead you out. I need to be alone for a moment…" Kimi looked a bit sorry for him, but decided to go now and went to the door.

"Thank you," said Kimi, but Izumi kept his head down, contemplating his defeat. She decided to just leave him alone and go.

"My first defeat _ever_…. And by a little _kid_ and her Navi no less! Could something be wrong with Forte EXE? …._He_'s haunting me… It's _his_ fault I lost…"

***

"…That's why you wanted to battle him?" asked Kimi, walking home through the low business district.

"Uh-huh…" said Slider, nervously answering back.

"But… I know you're strong, even if you _do_ lose Slider. But I'll admit, you were great!"

"Do you…mean that, Kimi?"

"Of course ^_^! I'd still like you, no matter what as long as you'll be my friend."

"Thank you Kimi, that means _so _much to me!"

Kimi smiled as she walked the way home. Then she turned around a corner--

"HEY THERE!"

"**EEK!**"

--and some strange, smiling fellow came out of the side and scared the wits out of the first grader. He had a blonde afro and violet square glasses, with a long-sleeved crimson shirt over a tan one, and dark brown pants.

"D-DON'T HURT ME!" shrieked Kimi Browser, cowering away from the man. The weirdo lost his smile and realized his mistake, and rubbed the back of his head as he felt sorry.

"Sorry there, little dudette, didn't mean to startle ya there," he said. Kimi looked at him.

"W-what do you want?"

"OH RIGHT!" he yelled, startling the little girl a bit more. "I wanted you to come here for a moment!" He waved his finger and walked towards the nearby alley. The first grader hesitated, but was curious and looked over the corner. She found him sitting at some stand with a glassed case on top of it, and went closer to him to get a better look--but slowly and cautiously. Kimi saw oodles of small jewelry, mainly bracelets and earrings and rings and so on, and marveled at the little beauties.

"Good-looking, ain't they?"

"But mister, why do you want _me_ to buy one?"

"Cuz' I see in _your_, yes_ your_ face, that you have a special someone. And I think that one of _my_, yes _my_, pieces right here'll make him come on to the _love_ side!"

"I don't trust this man…" said Slider EXE through the earpiece. "They may be stolen!"

"…You mean, a _boyfriend_?" Kimi asked, looking up at the stranger.

"Of course! And congrats on getting one so _early_!"

"…This guy's a peculiar one…" said Slider EXE.

"But… He's so much _older_ than me! I don't really like him in _that_ way…"

"Oh not yet… But when you're older, you will. Hey, Juliet was _fourteen_ and Romeo was _seventeen_ when they both married! Could happen to you!"

"…._REALLY?_" thought Slider EXE. "_That sounds wrong_…"

"Sorry, but boys aren't really my thing right now," replied Kimi. "Besides, if they were, I'd want someone near _my_ age."

"…Well than buy it for when you _do_ find someone! You know, plan ahead!"

"I'm sorry, butI don't have much…"

"…Hey, just for you!" The salesman opened the case from the side and took out a ring with a green jewel and violet gems on the sides of it. He instructed her to open her hands, and he dropped it into them.

"…For me?"

"As beautiful as your eyes, little dudette. That special someone'll think the same when you get something like it from him!"

"….It isn't _stolen_, is it?"

"WHOA WHOA _WHOA_! NEVER EVER would I steal a thing like that! _Major_ bad vibes, man! Even if it was, I wouldn't be so dumb as to give it to a little dudette that could call the police on me!"

"…OK, I…guess… Thank you!" Kimi put on the ring and looked at it for a bit, then started walking away and waved.

"No problem, little dudette. And remember: 'Tis the season for _loving_!" The weird man waved back and grinned, and the little girl walked away, but not without marveling at her new gift a litte.

***

Forte EXE sat on the floor of some dark and shadowy room, folded up with his knees near his face. Only the basic shape of furniture and his body--without the poncho for once as well as his helmet--can be seen in what is presumed to be Izumi's computer. He thinks deeply, looking almost dolorous, as the only light shining on him is the feint one from his own eyes.

"_That…Slider was it_?" he thought to himself. "_She said she was fighting for her Navi's sake. I've been doing that all this time but_…_where has it gotten Izumi? Homeless, a runaway, stealing food for his survival_…_ I can just see him having doubts of my abilities now, especially after I went mad over some stupid Rock Cube! Look how PITIFUL I've been in being his Navi! I NEVER LOST A BATTLE UNTIL NOW! But HER_…_ That…"Slider EXE" girl… She seems to be on the right track with her own partner. Thinking so compassionately on her welfare, trying to be a guardian angel_… _What is it that I've done wrong exactly? WHAT? I gotta be better, for Izumi's sake, even more than ever! I need to ask her, maybe she can guide me. Maybe she knows something that no one else can tell me_… _But there's one problem:_

How do you talk to a GIRL NAVI?"

****

To Be Continued….


	3. Chapter 3: Serenade From The Blind

****

Fallen Angel of Black:  
The Origin of Forte EXE

__

by Baka-Sama (AKA Fatesmon)

Chapter 3: Serenade From The Blind

Forte lied on his bed with one leg over the other on his black bed inside the computer Izumi used, which in reality was also Forte's own room. The walls are in a vibrant orange, with a bookshelf full of Japanese action comics and battle hint books by his bed. A _huge _stereo system and a silver/black (you guessed it) _bass _guitar are in the far corner, next to his poster of the sinister Vega (M. Bison in America), oddly in a pose like Uncle Sam with the Psycho Drive behind him, the phrase "Feel the Psycho Power…OR ELSE!" on the top and bottom. Forte was busy reading a graphic novel--a bag of them drooping down by the side of the bed--like he was only studying it. According to the cover, it was--….a romance comic?

"OK…" Forte said to himself. "What have I learned so far about females? One, they like handsome men with good looks (got that down!). Two, they prefer no perverted peeking, or _YOU'RE DEAD_. Three, I have a new fascination on this 'Ryoko' character." Forte turned away and picked up another of the novels, a No Need For Tenchi! one, and stared at a page with the space pirate herself. "*SIGH*…. …." Forte put it back in the bag and continued on with his summary, his face covered in the book again. "Four, they have the unexplainable power to conjure up weaponry from an alternate dimension that they can use to punish those of my kind. And five, some may have the power to transform themselves into sailors with the power of the planets in our solar system and defeat the forces of invaders from other worlds and times. ……." Forte got a sweat drop by the side of his head and looked up from the novel, looking hopeless with one brow down and the other twitching in dismay. "Oh I'm making _some_ headway…" he said sarcastically. He looked back at the comic. He looked closer at a scene of the high school lady being given a bouquet of roses by a nervous high school boy, followed by a request for a date which the girl couldn't refuse. "HMMMMM…. So this guy first put an anonymous love letter in her locker, then requested her to meet at some special place… From the looks of it, women are suckers for this romantic stuff! Maybe this'll give me more…."

***

__

One week later, Wednesday…

"YAAAAAAWWWWNNNN…" Izumi stretched his arms and legs out in his seat, it being late at night in the office building. His drowsiness was developing on his face, his eyelids getting heavier by the minute.

"Hey, Forte," typed the loner to his Navi. "What time is it?"

"Around 11:15 PM," Forte EXE answered back.

"…But it was just 8:45 when I last asked you!"

"Which was _THREE HOURS AGO!_"

"….DAMN, time sure goes fast…. OK Forte, time to call it a night. I'm jacking you out and putting you back home. …But _dammit_ I was so close in finding that site again!"

"It's not like you have Vampire Savior 5 anyways. Besides, all _you _want is some screenshots from that secret gallery you can unlock."

"But Felicia's _SO FINE_… And look who's talking! You stared at that Morrigan pic for _half an hour_!"

"Touché… G' night, Izumi."

"G' night, Forte." Izumi took out his PET and put it back in, and turned off the monitor. Izumi opened the door and walked out, going down the hall and towards someplace in one of the upper floors.

"Heh-heh-heh…" Forte grinned in complete darkness, then turned on the light to his room with the switch. "OK, Izumi's asleep, and I'm without the need to shut down for the night, so no one will be the wiser. Let's see what I have…" Forte took out a pink envelope with a red outline out from under his poncho. "Love letter: check. Romantic colors: check. All I need to do now is find her terminal…. Hmmm… I've been through all of the Dentown Internet system once or twice already, and I never saw anything that resembled that Navi anywhere. That little girl must travel then… There's no town that's any walking distance around Dentown, so she must be taking that new metroline… It must be ACDC Town then!" Forte put back the envelope and went out of the door. "Shouldn't be too hard to find the ACDC Town system…but the terminals are _another_ matter. Hopefully I'll come back before Izumi wakes up." Forte EXE started his long journey, thinking of something that seemed vital to his journey something _so_ serious that--

"_Super fighting robot! Mega Man_--nah, I'm sick of that song."

--….I feel embarrassed about thinking such a thing seemed important…

"Oh! I know! _Digimon, digital monsters, Digimon are the champions! Digimon, digital monsters_…"

***

After a long journey to the system, Forte EXE stopped and leaned over, taking a breath from all the exhaustion.

"*HUFF* Blasted *PUFF* viruses… *HUFF* But I *PUFF* made it *HUFF*…" Forte got back up right and started looking around the place, seeing a neighborhood of terminals in which to look through. So he walked on.

"Now _where_ was I…? OH YES! _Chained with never-ending desire. Like a red flower on an ankle. A sweet dream that you never wake up from. Deep in--"_

[_Author's Note: HEY KIDS! See if YOU can recognize the translated lyrics of anime themes Forte EXE sings though this chapter (which I copied and pasted from Anime Lyrics.com, HINT HINT)! Some of which, are from animes so popular, and yet I haven't even SEEN them yet! _………_My sadness has no end_………]

*knock knock*

"--I'll try this one." Forte snuck up one of the terminals closest to him, and stepped on the circle. A door emerged from the floor, and Forte leaned on it to hear what went on inside.

"ZZZZZZ…." Guts Man EXE slept _un_soundly in Dekao's computer, forming a large bubble from his nose (even though he doesn't seem to have one…) and with his place a _bit_ (an understatement) of a mess.

"…Doesn't sound too ladylike… I can at _least_ ask the guy for directions!" Forte knocked on the door.

"ZZZZZZ…." Guts Man kept on sleeping, ignoring the knocking. Forte knocked again, and the bubble popped as Guts Man blinked twice as he awoke.

"….Guts Man…need sleep…" the huge Navi mumbled, looking _very_ drowsy.

"Hello?" the black Navi called outside, knocking again.

"GUTS MAN…NEED SLEEP…." Guts Man got out of bed and stomped towards the door like a zombie, out of his room and through the computer pathway (IE, what _you_ go through when you go inside Dekao's computer).

"Hello? …Can you hear me?" Guts Man got just in front of the door.

"IF GUTS MAN NO GET SLEEP…**THEN GUTS MAN _SMASH!_**"

"HELLO? ANYONE--"

****

BASH!

Guts Man punched through the door just before Forte knocked again. The fist was _less_ than an inch from his face, causing him to make a sweatdrop. Guts Man, now not hearing any knocking, was satisfied and smiled as he limped back.

"…I'LL TRY…ANOTHER TERMINAL…" squeaked Forte, slowly walking backwards and causing the broken door to sink back in.

***

__

"The cruel angel's thesis, The sorrow then begins. You held tight to the form of life when you woke up from that--"

*knock knock*

"ZZZZZ-- H-huh?" Glyde EXE awakens from a slumber in a big blue chair, a book lying face flat in his lap. "Oh, I must've dozed off! *YAAAAAWWNNN*" He stretched out and went through the door, the book dropping open to the floor. Probably was reading something sophisticated, like--…..the strategy guide to Mega Man Legends? Opening the door, Glyde saw the swirl path of young Yaito's computer--the _long, winding_ path of Yaito's computer. "….*SIGH*" Glyde EXE started walking, going through the winding path as the knocking continued, as well as his fatigue. "I _must_ speak with Miss Yaito about this configuration…." After a long walk, he gets to the door and opens it, seeing Forte EXE in front of him.

"Um, hi… Do you happen to know the way to…_Kimi's_ terminal? You know, with Slider EXE?"

"….." Glyde took a moment and yawned. "I'm sorry, my good man, but I have not an answer to your dilemma. However, I _do_ know who might help. If you just keep going down…" he said, pointing to the right down the row of terminals, "and then go one row down, you'll find an acquaintance of mine on the top fifth terminal from the entry. He and his partner are acquaintances of the two mistresses you seek."

"Oh. Hey, thanks!"

"My…*YAWN* pleasure…." Forte walked off, and the door went away as the civilized Navi closed it. He looked back at the winding path before him, not looking like he was in the mood…. "….Oh the bloody--"

****

BAM!

"ZZZZZZZZ…" Glyde EXE fell to the floor like a plank of wood, falling asleep flat on his face.

***

"_The real folk blues! I just want to feel a real sorrow. It's not bad a life in the muddy river, If life is once--_ This must be the place." Forte stood on the terminal and the door came up. He knocked, but no answer. He knocked again, but still nothing. So he decided to go into Netto's computer and look around. He found another door--no doubt the Navi's room-- and was about to knock, but he then heard some _loud_ rock and roll music emanating from inside. "…What the hell?" Inside, everyone's favorite Blue Bomber, Rockman EXE, was rockin' on (see a pun here?) on his bed while the stereo turned it up a notch.

"**YEAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!**" Rockman EXE screeched.

*knock knock*

"Hello?" Forte asked, but got no answer. "…HELLO?"

"OH _THIS _IS **KICKIN!**" Rockman only heard the rock music.

"….HELLO?! …Are you _deaf _or something!? …**HELLO?!** ….**HEY! _ASS_!**" Forte got no answer, so he put up and shook his fist as an anger vein started growing on his forehead. GgggrrrrRRRRRRR**RRRRRRR….**"

"**YEAH! ** I COULD DO THIS ALL NIGHT--"

****

BOOOOSSSH!

A _humongous_ blast made a perfectly round hole through the door and exploded right in Rockman's face, stopping his music and blackening his mug while he slowly slid off his bed with a THUD. Rockman rubbed his face, only to see the perpetrator.

"**HEY!** You gonna answer me, or are you gonna keep on torturing that poor animal?!"

"For _your_ information," said Rockman as he got up and dashed on over. "I was playing some rock and roll!"

"Tell _that_ to the Humane Society!"

"You didn't have to blast my door, you know… You could've just spoken up louder."

"**I _WAS_ SPEAKING LOUDER!!**" Forte's yelling caused a brief thrust of wind that blew through Rockman's face.

"…So what do you want, anyway?"

"Someone said you knew where the terminal with Slider EXE was."

"Why do you want her?"

"None of your _damn_ business."

"….I'm not going to tell you if you keep acting like that! If you want to know, go up one row and go down nine terminals on the top. Ask the one there. As for me, sayonara!"

"…Hmph. Sure, I could _use_ the exercise…." Forte turned around, sick of the Blue Bomber's sight.

"…Jerk," mumbled Rockman EXE as Forte was about to leave the terminal. "Oh, and nice dress!"

"**!!!!**" Forte was about to go out, when he heard the other's little insult. Forte slowly jerked his head with his teeth gritting, looking at the sneer-donning Rockman. Rockman was about to go back into his room, when…

*tap tap*

"Hey."

"Huh?" Rockman turned around to see….Forte with two _big_ boom boxes, and his bass guitar.

"**ARE YOU READY TO ROCK?!?!**"

****

VRRRRRAAAAOOOOWWWWW!!!

"**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!" **The sheer magnitude of the noise sent the blue Navi flying back to his room, and his head _bashed_ into the wall, knocking him out while he laid on the floor.

"@_@ Dr. Light, fix my voice… Roll's starting to sounds like more of a guy than meeeeee….."

"Heh," smirked the sinister one, throwing his guitar to the back of him as some portal sucked back in his three items. He then left. "Dumbass loser."

***

"_I want to believe in the, A world without lies is just beyond that gate. Taking flight high in the sky, riding our dreams, let's fly off, and chase aft_er--" Forte reached the terminal he was directed to, sighing in hopes that _this_ would lead him in the right direction.

*knock knock*

"Just a minute!" called a feminine voice from inside. Forte was a bit surprised, and even _more_ when the charming Roll EXE opened the door in front of him.

"Konnichiwa! Can I help you?"

"….UM…._UM_……" Forte quickly about faced away from Roll, a bit bashful in front of her.

"…Is something wrong?"

"NO NO, nothing's _wrong_…. Um, say, you wouldn't happen to know where I…might find a 'Slider EXE', would you?"

"Slider? Oh of course I know her! Just go down five rows from here and go to the second one from the left end. Hope that helps!"

"UM, yeah, greatly. Thank you…"

"You're welcome ^_^." Roll closed the door half way. "Oh, and don't worry. I'm _sure_ she'll like a nice boy like you!"

"**GGGH!**" Now the black Navi was feeling _real_ embarrassed, blushing all around his face. Roll giggled and closed the door, and Forte turned around, rubbing the back of his head.

"….*SIGH* What _is it_ with me and female Navis? As if seeing that Slider EXE for the first time wasn't startling enough…"

***

"--_A cycle of heaven and hell. I can bring it up many times, let a flower blossom. Run, run until you find love. If I was to suffer, let it continue--" _Our tortured hero(?) stopped at the (hopefully) _correct_ terminal. The door emerged as he stepped on the circle, and he put his ear to it and heard some faint--_feminine_--muttering coming from within.

"…..MMMM….." said Slider EXE in her sleep. "Look Kimi….a whole mountain of _ice_ _cream_, and it's all yours….."

"…_ICE CREAM?_" questioned Forte EXE. "Well, either way it's _her_ voice. I've (finally) got the right place!" Forte got off the door and took out the envelope. He slid it in under the doorway and simply left. "Her PET shouldn't ring until she actually notices it, so no one'll notice I was here. ….I hope this all works out. Now I better _run like hell_ before Izumi wakes up!" He zoomed off.

***

__

The next morning…

"Slider… Wake up, Slider…"

__

"….H-huh?" Slider reactivated herself slowly out of bed and stretched as she yawned off the last night's incapacitation. "Morning, Kimi."

"Morning, Slider!" The Navi walked to a mirror on a desk and looked at herself. She smiled, looking good as always, until she noticed her strand of hair all jumbled up. She immediately located a comb and brushed out all the imperfections. She admired herself in the mirror, but noticed in the very bottom corner of it an e-mail on the floor being reflected. The violet female turned and went over, picking it up.

"Hmmm…"

BEEP BEEP BEEP! BEEP BEEP BEEP!

"Kimi, you got mail."

"Really?" Kimi checked her e-mail and saw the letter in question. "….Slider?"

"Yes?"

"This one's…for _you_. And it rhymes too."

"…What?" The letter digitally formed in her hands. It was a dull shade of purple, the kind you find on Valentine cards, with a sky blue French Script MT font.

"….To Slider EXE:  
_The bands that so wrap me tight,  
The crimson jewels that gleam so bright,  
The dark blue hair that flows abound,  
The violet curves that are so round.  
Your silver rings have enveloped me,  
But I gladly surrender my energy.  
However, as you release your bind,  
Sweet but cruel love has left me blind.  
Dear angel of violet, please come from above,  
And heal me of my disorder with your love.  
I lie in pain, but no need to make haste,  
Wait 'till Friday at nine, at this place.  
  
Your Secret Admirer_"

"…..Wow….." Slider could think of no intelligent response to the romantic ode she just read. Attached to it was a map of the Internet, with a yellow line going from her position to some other one south of the ACDC Net district. "That looks pretty far…. But doesn't look like a tough road."

"….Slider, is there something you want to tell me ^_^?"

"….It's not polite to tease, Kimi."

"Sorry... I wonder who it could be? Maybe Rockman EXE?"

"I don't know… I think Roll EXE's his crush personally. But whoever he is, he seems like a nice guy!"

"Wait! Maybe it's that…Forte EXE."

"…No offense, but I _doubt_ it. He seems too masculine to write such a thing."

***

__

Friday, 6:08 PM…

"Hey Izumi!" beckoned the black poet to his partner. "Can I go on my own for the rest of the day?"

"What?" asked Izumi. "Well sure, but…_why_ exactly?"

"I met some showoff Navi who wants to duel me the other day. Acted all superior and stuff and set the place far to the south. Gonna be a while to get there and back…"

"…That _still_ doesn't mean I can't guide--"

"He doesn't want any help on either side; battle chip-free. I don't wanna waste your time with such a loser, but I might as well give him a lesson anyways."

"….Suit yourself. Sure you'll be OK on the way there?"

"*PFFT* With _puny_ viruses? No sweat!"

"All right then, make it so. Kick some dumbass _ass_ for me!"

"_That's a new one…_ Will do!" Forte waved goodbye as the black-haired twelve year-old shut off the screen to his PET. He laid back in his chair, his hands behind his head.

"…Great, what am I gonna do then? …I guess I could watch some online TV."

"Heh-heh-heh… _Perfect_…"

Meanwhile, far away in ACDC Town, Slider EXE was getting ready herself for the "date". Though wearing just her usual garments (since Navis wear the same clothes all the time), she added on a violet (oh _big_ surprise…) by her left shoulder.

"How do I look?" Slider asked to Kimi.

"That flower's so pretty. I hope you have a fun time with him."

"Thanks. Remember, you're only following me so that you can give me battle chips for any viruses on the way. After I get there, I want you to shut off the PET screen."

"But why?"

"There might be some things on this date I don't think you're ready to see."

"OK…. But it sounds so _romantic_!"

"_She's right about THAT…_" Slider EXE thought."_It's so hard to hide my anxiety from her!_"

***

__

Friday, 8:59 PM…

Slider EXE walked up to an empty area in the Net, finding no sign of anyone or anything.

"This _is_ the right place…." Slider said to herself. "Kimi, go ahead and turn off your screen."

"OK. Have fun!" Kimi's screen above Slider disappeared. The violet Navi looked back and forth, but still no sign of activity.

"I don't understand! Why isn't he here--" Slider looked in front of her and saw a shadowy stranger, handing out a bouquet of flowers to the female with his back turned.

"For you, senorita," said the mysterious man. Awed, she took the marvelous bouquet. The figure turned around, and revealed himself to be Forte EXE, showing off his pearly whites and wearing--…._what in Heaven's name_?

"….Is that a…_sombrero_?" Slider asked with a bit of humor, pointing to his odd addition. Forte just kept smiling, but it soon faded as Slider turned around and tried to hide her giggling.

"…_What?_ I think it goes _well_, don't you?"

"I…*PFFT* I'm sorry, but," she said as she turned back, "you've got to admit, it _does _look pretty funny!"

"….Does _anyone_ like my taste in fashion?!" Forte slammed down the sombrero, which warped away as he got into a fit.

"…Wait a minute… _YOU'RE_ MY DATE?"

"See anyone else around?"

"……."

"As they say, don't judge a book by its cover."

"….I can't believe it: _YOU_ wrote that poem?"

"Why yes, actually!"

"That sounded so sweet… I _never_ would've guessed _you_ to have such poetic talent!"

"_Better not tell her it took FIVE HOURS for me to make that_… Thanks."

"So, why _here_ of all places?"

"If you just come over _here_…." Forte turned a corner and walked away, his companion soon to follow while still holding the bouquet. He stopped abruptly and faced some empty side of the pathway, Slider wondering why he just stood there as she walked up beside him.

"….Just wait…." said the black Navi. Suddenly, millions of pixels came from nowhere and formed a pathway to a terminal, which surprised the female warrior. Forte led her to it and through the door. What she saw next simply paralyzed her in astonishment.

"…Oh my god…" Lying in front of her was a vast land with a large green park just down the hill she was now standing on. In the east was a lively amusement park, and in the north was a city-like shopping center. A vast lake full of little boats was in the very center of it all. Everywhere she looked, there were other Navis just like her frolicking about, having fun or seeing the sights or whatever they had their mind set on.

"…Is this what I _think_ it is?" asked Slider EXE.

"Yup, a Navi Park. The place where wealthy Navis can take a vacation away from their partners for a day or two. Found it a while back."

"I always heard about these…I heard making reservations for such a thing costs _so much_! How did you afford it?"

"I'll just say virus busting has its benefits."

"But why was the entry hidden?"

"To keep out any virus Navis that might lurk about. They scan anything that comes in front of the entrance and crosses it with their database. They saw my reservation, so they let me in."

"It's so _beautiful_…"

"…Quit staring and let's do something!" Forte dashed down the hill.

"Huh? HEY! WAIT!" Slider dashed right after him.

***

The date started off simple enough, a walk by each other through a portion of the park especially made with everlasting cherry blossoms. Slider couldn't help but show her appreciation by continually looking at the pink masterpieces. Forte, meanwhile, looked down at his hand, and in an attempt to be romantic, tried to hold his companion's hand and reached for it slowly. Slider turned back to him, and he immediately drawed back and looked away with some whistling, trying his best to look innocent. Slider looks puzzled, and Forte slowly turns his eyes at her, giving off a nervous smile. The next scene involved a fast and furious roller coaster ride. Though Slider screamed as she enjoyed it, Forte got sick and leaned over the side, doing--ah, you can guess. Not long after, a can smashed into his face--most likely someone not too happy down below--and caused him to tear from the pain. He hoisted himself off the side, and two little tear strands dangled from his eyelids. Slider saw his pain and rubbed his forehead, affectionately trying to make the pain lessen. Then it was a trip to the arcade, where Slider smiled at Forte after she, simply put, _kicked his ass_ in a Servbot VS Morrigan duel on Marvel VS Capcom 2 (my _GOD_ that's sad!). Forte beckoned for a rematch, and hours later he was found trying to win the game while Slider just leaned on the wall and sighed in embarrassment. The fixated Navi was enjoying himself _too_ much, when someone tapped on his shoulder. He turned around and yelled at the guy to buzz off, but was met by an angry line of red-eyed customers forming behind him, giving him a sweatdrop in return. The two were found later on a bench on the outskirts of the park, enjoying some double-scooped ice cream cones (which in reality was just a novelty way of disguising energy refills for Navis' pleasure). Slider leaned over to lick hers, but lost her grip on it and got afraid as she tried to catch it. Forte came to the rescue and caught it, giving it back to the clumsy female with a smile. Slider smiled back in appreciation, but as they looked at each other some husky Navi walked by them and swiped Forte's cone. Seeing this, he yelled back for his cone and gave chase. Slider got embarrassed and sweatdropped as the ground shook from obviously a big brawl. Forte walked back to the bench, licking his cone and satisfied while entrails of smoke waved off his body. Slider tried to cover her nose and the cone as Forte sat down and enjoyed his treat.

Their next activity was on a paddle boat on the lake, with the black (and unusually unlucky on this day) male turning his legs too hard and causing the boat to go in circles. The violet Navi told him to stop and put her arm on his shoulder, telling him to look at her legs (DON'T GET ANY PERVERTED IDEAS!)and tried to teach him the right method. Forte looked back at his own and took her advice, and he paddled more slowly. The boat went on a straight course now, and his mouth opened wide with hapiness, followed by some admiration for himself with a rubbing of the back of his head. Slider couldn't help but smile too. It was then on an ice rink on the frozen half of a lake, Forte trying to catch up with Slider as fast as he could. Once he did, they grabbed each others' hands and started to loop around, following it with an S-curve. They skidded and stopped themselves, roaring with pleasured laughter. In back of them, Ice Man EXE was blowing as hard as he could to complete an large ice cube, taking a deep breath in the middle of his work and then completing it. He took out an ice chisel and hammer, but some red Navi with a flamethrower for a hand flamed the cube and melted most of it, laughing cruelly as Ice Man's anger rose. He gave chase and slid after the perpetrator, but slipped and fell on his head, spewing out some frost as he mad impact. Both Slider and Forte looked up and noticed some snow now falling from the sky, admiring it with their eyes twinkling. The duo looked back at each other, closing their mouths but still smirking, as for some reason their eyes locked. They clenched each other's hands, and Forte helped Slider do a single spin on her skates. The Navis didn't see in back of them Ice Man EXE kicking around the frozen red Navi, kicking him across the ice and laughing in revenge as a loud THUD followed.

***

It had been a long day--erm, night, and the two needed a little relaxation from all the fun they had. They settled themselves slowly down on a bench by some booths in the carnival, both taking a deep breath.

"Oh _man_, what a day…" complained Forte EXE.

"I haven't done so much…" added Slider EXE, "since Kimi found that online gallery of stuffed animals!"

"And I was _so_ close to the last boss… *whimper*"

"I…really had a good time today."

"Huh? Oh, no…problem."

Both just stopped talking then and there and slid in the bench, trying to rest. Some peculiar stranger in the usual dull overcoat and hat, with shades over his eyes and two triangular things poking from under his coat, walked by and tried his best to look inconspicuous. He walked up to the nearest booth, where a man hosting the knock-the-milk bottles took eye on him.

"Wanna try, good sir?" asked the stereotypical carny.

"Yeah," the stranger answered back. He was going to hand over the zenny, when a youthful, blond female Navi came past him and tripped, snagging his overcoat and ripping it off of his body.

"OH! I'm so sorry!" pleaded the Navi. "I didn't mean to--……" Her eyes turned from sad, to normal, to lovestruck. The man's body was sparkling like gold with orange as well, with star patterns on the edge of his gloves and boots, and a _big_ star on his back (what was poking his coat). He looked surprised and nervous at the lass, his shades and hat just falling off suddenly to reveal his handsome face.

"….**IT'S HIM!**" shrieked the female. "**IT'S _STAR MAN EXE!!!_**"

"OH _SHIT_…"

"**WHAT, _REALLY?!_**"

"**OF THE HEROICS FOUR**?!"

"**OH HE'S SO _DREAMY_!**"

Star Man EXE looked all around him as millions of fan girls came from left and right, forming a circle around him and all having the same lovestruck expression.

"…LOOK! A VIRUS!" He pointed to the sky in front of him, and all the girls gasped and looked upward. "Stand back, ladies, _I'll_ handle this!" He tried to look heroic as all of them cowered behind him. But a wily smirk formed on his face. "…**AWAY!**" He ran off in a flash, leaving the rabid fans to realize his treachery and to chase after. "*HUFF HUFF* Good thing they cleared the way for me!" Forte and Slider heard the guy go by and watched him go, their heads turning as he passed. They did the same thing with the mob of insane women that came soon after. Star Man looked back at the pleading crowd, and de-attached the big star on his back and threw it to the ground in front of him. He jumped on it, and the star started to float and then zoomed off into the sky. The girls stopped and moaned in disappointment. "FREEDOM!" Star Man proclaimed out loud, stretching his limbs to the heavens….until he noticed something heading right for him. It was a blue-haired girl Navi with a helicopter blade on her back (kinda like Gyro Man, huh?).

"I LOVE YOU STAR MAN EXE!" she screamed with arms wide open.

"….Well _this_ sucks…." The girl missed him, but hit him so much on the side that he went falling to the ground.

"**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH--**"

****

THUD!

"Oh no, I almost had him!" cried the flying female in disappointment. Star Man made an imprint in the ground where he landed flat on his front. He lifted his head up, only to see the women coming around and overshadowing him.

"….SAVE ME KEIJI-SAMA…"

[_Author's Note: Keiji Inafune is the name of the man who created Mega Man._]

The girls' grin widened as they got closer and closer, and the poor golden Navi got more panicked and panicked. "Please, PLEASE, **NOT THE FACE!!**"

"…That poor man…" said Slider EXE sympathetically. "I hope he comes out all right."

"Feh, no one's gonna miss him," said Forte, looking away and not caring for Star Man's welfare with both hands behind his head.

"How can you _say_ that?!" cried Slider EXE. "He was one of the Navis that ceased a virus overpopulation many years ago!"

"I _did_ have a fondness for him and the other Heroics three, but now they're just lazy old has-beens who let rookies take control while _they_ get so much royalties…'specially _him_."

"**MY *&%^$! ARM! _MY *&%^$! ARM!_**"

"But the Net-Battlers are good people! They save lives and make sure that--"

"BAH! I _knew_ they were pathetic the first time I heard of them! So if they're so _good_, how come some fifth-grader is being the hero all of a sudden? Izumi thinks the same way."

"….It must be something other than that. You have another reason, don't you?"

"….Sorry, but I'm not singing."

"….Nevermind. But I _still_ don't understand how you paid for all this! Your partner Izumi's so poor, and yet you're here paying for such an expensive time here at a Navi Park. I mean, if it's too personal--"

"It is."

"Oh. ….."

"…It's just that I'd have to explain a lot about Izumi and me for you to understand--"

"No no, it's OK, you don't have to."

"**HEY! GIVE THAT BACK--AAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHH!!"**

"…How's about a trade then?" asked Forte EXE, catching Slider's attention.

"Huh?"

"I'll tell you mostly everything if you tell me…why you're called 'Mama" all the time." The violet fighter turned away and became shy, reluctant to tell.

"…If you don't tell anyone else--"

"Only reason I would do that if you were _really_ Kimi's mother." Slider just blinked at that resonse, and gave a little giggle.

"No no, it's not that. ….But it _does_ have to do with her mother, though… *SIGH* ….A few months ago, her mother, Kagome, died of a terrible disease. Kimi was heartbroken, and so was her father Kougorou. They moved to ACDC Town a couple of months after that, because Kougorou got a job at the Government Complex as a part of the great Dr. Hiraki's assistant team in Navi development. He created me for Kimi… I was programmed to act and look a bit like her. Me and Kimi became quick friends. Because I remind her so much, she sometimes calls me 'Mama'."

"…."

"The really hard part is, I _really_ want to be like her mother, I _really_ do. But, I'm only a Navi… I can never see her face beyond a screen, never see her play at school, never tuck her in bed or feel her warm, pleasant cheek…" Slider was on the brink of crying, leaning down and frowning down at the ground. Forte felt bad and put his arm over her shoulder.

"More the reason life is never fair."

"What?" She cocked her head at him.

"That's almost every Navi's dream, isn't it? But we never will, will we? While we never age, our partners grow and age, and one day…they, and _we_, are history. Some get shut down permanently, some get scraped, more fortunate--or _less_ fortunate--simply get altered and given to another partner. I've heard of such cases where Navis have gone out to the Net and purposely lost to viruses in a form of suicide from the emotional pain. We're no better off than any human."

"…."

****

"NOOOOO!! NOT MY GOLDEN-PLATED _STARS_!"

"…My turn, isn't it?"

"Um, I guess so…" Slider wiped off some tiny droplets from her eyes and paid attention to Forte.

"Have you ever heard of the disastrous Metroline Massacre that happened six years ago?"

"Yes… I read about it on a news archive once."

"Think about it for a moment.

"………..**!!! **You mean, Izumi is--"

"That's right: the infamous sole survivor of the Metroline Massacre."

"So what happened?"

"Well, on the same day his parents died in the crash, he mysteriously found me in his pocket. After he got a temporary guardian, he used a computer, and we met each other for the first time. Then he got a foster parent…."

"…He was cruel, wasn't he?"

"Right on the bull's eye. He was OK for the first two years, but then he became _hell-bent_ and started treating him--and _me_--like soldiers. He treated the both of us day and night--me with his _own_ Navi-- for some unknown reason. We both coped with it for as long as he could, but then he blurted out something that we overheard one night that changed _everything_: 'I killed his parents, so he _better watch it_ or I'll do the same to _him_!' We immediately planned our escape, and at the age of eleven he and I ran off. And here we are."

"…I'm so sorry… I didn't mean for you to remember all that--"

"It's all right. Both of us have gotten used to it."

"**WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"**

"So, how does that tie in with your zenny abundance?"

"You know how you win zenny from duels or virus busting? And how the Navi is in possession of it until it's automatically transferred to the partner's account when he jacks out? Well unfortunately, his account is connected to his foster parent's, and we don't know how to separate it--not that we could, since he could track us down then. So he's used a function to lock out zenny from leaving the Navi account. So he can only buy things for online use such as online TV, whereas I can use it for mostly _anything_. Since I'm so strong, I'm _loaded_ with zenny from all the years!"

"…I get it now."

"Huh?"

"The other reason you hate the Net Battlers. Because they didn't stop the WWW in time, Izumi's parents died. Since he's your partner, you share your anger with him."

"….You're a smart one. I like that!"

"Thanks."

Just then, they heard some dragging sounds. Their heads turned to the right, and there they saw poor Star Man EXE dragging one of his legs and picking up dust as he held his shoulder, all bruised and torn of some of his clothing. He stopped in front of them, and slowly turned his head at them.

"I don't suppose any of you know of any repair stations or anything, do you?" he asked in an unsettling tone.

"I think if you go into the shopping district, you'll find one in the far right end," answered back Slider EXE.

"_That far?_ …*SIGH* Thank you…" He dragged himself away, moaning from the onslaught of the rabid fan girls.

"…Least he's still alive…" commented Forte EXE.

"…It's funny…"

"Hm?"

"Both of us are connected in some way to our partners because they lost someone they loved dearly… Ironic, isn't it?"

"…Guess it is…" Both gave out a hearty laugh, and then laid back in the bench normally.

"…I have something to admit."

"What is it?"

"This…whole 'date' thing was a rouse. I just wanted to find some way to speak _alone_ with you."

"But…why?"

"That little speech you gave to me after our last fight. It clicked something in me. I've seen Izumi gone through so much over the years, and I feel that in some way I've done something wrong…. Then I look at you and Kimi, and I see a perfect relationship." Forte grabbed both Slider's hands and bundled them in his, like the both of them were praying. Tell me, tell me _please_, is there some secret to your bond with her? Something I can do?"

"….I can't give you advice on anything like that. The only thing I can say is, do the best you can do and make sure you do what you think is right!"

"….That's not enough…." Forte let go and moped in his side of the bench. Slider looked sad at his depression, but then got something in her head and smiled. Unexpectedly, she gave him a kiss on the cheek that caused him to blush like there was no tomorrow.

"…You're sweeter than I would ever have imagined. And thanks again for everything today. I'm sure you're a _great_ Navi to Izumi."

"…_TH-THANK YOU_…" he replied back nervously, trying to smile without showing signs of nervousness.

***

The couple walked off the secret path and into the normal Net again, close and side by side. Forte slowly reached his hand towards Slider's, then went for it and clenched it tight. Slider felt it and looked at the lock between them, and then at Forte, looking just straight on and trying to look straight. Too bad his eyes and lips were twitching. Slider simply grinned and gave off a little giggle. The both of them walked away farther and farther from the Navi park entrance, going back home.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Two yellow-glowing eyes from somewhere behind him radiated brighter.

"Master… I've found someone I know you'll take interest in…"

**__**

To Be Continued….


	4. Chapter 4: Izumi's Lullaby

****

Fallen Angel of Black:  
The Origin of Forte EXE

__

by Baka-Sama (AKA Fatesmon)

Chapter 4: Izumi's Lullaby

Forte yawned wide with his hand spread out over his mouth, while his eyelids grew heavy as he stared at Izumi's terminal.

"Finally…" he said with not a hint of enthusiasm. "I'm back home… Sure it was fun and all with Slider EXE but…I need to shut down _immediately_. And hopefully Izumi isn't awake." The black Navi walked into the terminal and went through the door, back inside of the office building computer and giving another big yawn. It was very dark.

"Good… Looks like Izumi hasn't turned it on yet. I'll just sneak back into my room and  
--"

"_However, as you release your bind,  
Sweet but cruel love has left me blind._"

"**!!!**" Light came into the computer. Forte recognized the lyrics, and looked up to see--to his utmost dismay--a floating screen of a cruelly grinning Izumi, reading off Forte's poem slowly but surely.

"_Dear angel of violet, please come from above,  
And heal me of my disorder with your love.  
I lie in pain, but no need to make haste,  
Wait 'till Friday at nine, at this place.  
_Loooove…_  
YOUR SECRET ADMIRER!!_"

The black-haired loner laughed at the romantic words, while Forte EXE covered his face in embarrassment.

"Why Forte," remarked Izumi, "I didn't know you had such a way with words!"

"…What makes you think _I_ wrote it, _hm_?"

"Oh, just a…'hunch'."

"Yeah, well would a _true_ poet have taken _five hours_ to write something so shor--**!!!**" The black Navi slaps his forehead, realizing he just admitted the poem was his doing. Izumi roars with laughter even more.

"I found it in the 'Sent Mail' directory. You should've known better than to think you could hide it from me with little effort!"

"Goddamit…"

"_SO_, you have a thing for that violet Navi, _eh_? Gotta admit, she _was_ a looker!"

"I was just…challenging her to another battle, _that's all_!"

"With a romantic sonnet?"

"To lure her into my trap, why else?"

"….So how was it? Did you go on a moonlight stroll? Did you whisper sweet nothings into her ear? Did she…_KISS GOOD?!_"

"GGGRRR…" Forte shook his fist violently, clenching his teeth hard in anger of both his lie failing and the humiliation. His anger (and the size of his anger vein) increased while his partner's laughed continued on and on… "**HEY! SHUT THE _DAMN HELL UP!_**"

"_Make_ me!"

"….If you don't quit laughing…" Forte said more calmly, forming a grin, "I won't tell you why that girl calls her Navi 'Mama'."

"Huh?" The comment was enough to put a stop to Izumi's mocking. Now Izumi was curious, and peeved that now his Navi was doing the torture. "…All right, all right. But if it's because the girl--"

"Kimi."

"--_Kimi_'s just a crybaby, then I already guessed that. Thus, you'll be subjected to more ridicule, _got_ _it_?"

"Don't worry, it's not _that_ obvious. …*SIGH* OK, here's the basics. Kimi's mom died a few months ago from an illness. She moved to ACDC Town soon after with her dad, who now works in Navi development. He made Slider EXE for Kimi, and made Slider to look and act like her mom, and that's why sometimes Kimi calls her 'Mama'. There, _satisfied_?"

"……"

"….Izumi? You all right?"

"Huh?" The boy got out of his daze and shook his head. "Oh, nothing, nothing… What about her dad? Know anything about him?"

"Well, on the way back home, I asked her about him. She said he's a 'workaholic' at the Government Complex, so the gal doesn't see her dad that much…even on _weekends_. Why do you wanna know?"

"Just curious. OK, that's enough for me. Go shut down, your eyes are even more red than usual!"

"I know, I know… G'night, Izumi."

"G'night, Forte EXE." Forte slowly walked towards the door to his room, and slowly closed it behind him. Izumi heard a "THUMP!" coming soon afterwards, grinning a bit at what humor that had. He shut off his computer and his PET, then leaned back into his chair, staring up at the ceiling.

"……" Izumi closed his eyes, and he went into a state of deep nostalgia. Memories came surging through his head like a bullet train.

__

"**MOMMY! DADDY!**"  
"Don't go there, son! It's too dangerous!"  
"LET ME GO! I GOTTA FIND MY MOMMY AND DADDY!"  
"I'm sorry son, but…you won't find them."  
"**MOOMMMYY! DAADDYYY!!**"

"…._ I didn't mean to_…_ I'm_…_sorry_…_"  
"Don't be. Enough people have felt sorry for me, but it hasn't gotten me anywhere, now has it?" _

"It seems so scary and…lonely."

"…But… Um, excuse me--"  
"Go ahead and have it."  
"What?"  
"I like your courage, kid! How you tried to stand up against me, even if I was so much older… We could use more people like you! Sayonara!"

"…." Izumi took a deep breath and released it. "…So the little girl's got no mom, and her dad's hardly around at all…"

***

Slider slowly opened the door to Kimi's computer and looked into the interior, swaying her vision left and right to detect any signs of activity. She slowly walked in.

"*YAWN* Hi, Slider…"

The lights turned on, and Slider EXE saw above her a screen of a sleepy Kimi, trying to stay awake with the doll of a tiny brown mink, wearing a white sweater with a yellow smiley face on it, wrapped in her arms.

"…Kimi, what are you doing up so late?" asked Slider.

"I was waiting for you to come home…" answered the little girl. "I couldn't wait to ask…*YAWN*…about your date, so I waited."

"You could've just waited 'till morning. You're just lucky it isn't a school night!"

"I'm sorry… So what was it like? Who was your…*YAWN*…secret admirer?"

"He wasn't much of a secret admirer than he was…someone who wanted to ask me something."

"Oh. …Who was it?"

"It was that Forte EXE we fought a week or so ago."

"That…scary Navi?" Kimi felt a little insecure and hugged her mink a little harder. "Did he…fight you again?"

"No no, he just wanted to know how to be a better Navi to his partner."

"…_He_ asked that?"

"I know I know, sounds odd. But, he's really more sweet than he looked."

"More sweet than… Slider EXE?"

"Yes, Kimi?"

"Did you become boyfriend and girlfriend?"

Slider stayed motionless after the question, and quickly turned around to hide the growing blush on her cheeks from her partner.

"_Did she have to ask THAT question?_" she thought to herself. The violet Navi turned back and tried to look normal by just smiling. "Of course not!"

"Awww… I was hoping you'd find someone. You deserve someone special!"

"….You think that?"

"Yes. Slider?"

"What is it?"

"Can Navis marry and have kids?"

"No, I'm afraid. We're just data, not living things. Though we _may_ be able to have relationships…. Now go to bed Kimi, or Kougorou will be angry."

"Why don't you just call him 'Dad'?"

"…Um…"

"…*YAWN* Nevermind, I'll go now… Good night, Slider EXE."

"Good night, Kimi…" The Navi waved and started to walk away, but Kimi didn't turn the computer off and looked a bit displeased. Kimi coughed to get Slider's attention, and succeeded. Slider didn't understand at first, but then she got the idea.

"Oh, and good night to you too, Sweater." Slider grinned towards the doll, and so Kimi smiled back. The child moved the mink's arm up and down, and then the screen disappeared. Slider sighed, relieved that she could finally shut down for the rest of the night, which she did.

***

__

Tuesday morning, 6:33 AM…

Izumi had his arms crossed and his eyes closed while sitting in the chair in front of the office computer, waiting for his Navi to reactivate for the day. After some moments, Forte EXE finally "awakens", and the PET's jewel (which was left connected into the computer) flashed. Izumi turned on the screen.

"Mornin', Izumi," said Forte.

"Hi," replied Izumi, "and bye."

"…Come again?"

"I'm goin' out today. Won't be back for some while."

"But, what about--"

"You have the whole day off! Maybe you can use it…to sweet-talk that Navi! HEHEHEHE…"

"…You son of a--"

"Sayonara." Izumi turned off the screen, and simply left the room. Forte EXE was left peeved inside of the computer.

"*PFFT* Like _I_ could have a crush on someone. …Ah, what the hell? Can't think of anything _else_ to do. I need a playmate."

***

__

7:16 AM…

The black-haired rogue looked nervous as he just stared into the active crowd surrounding him at the Dentown metroline station.

"I _HATE_ PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION," he grumbled as he held tight onto something in the pocket of his gray jeans. He pulled out his hand, and opened his fingers to reveal the coins and bills he was grasping. "Surprising what people drop on the streets. This should be enough for a trip to and back." He put the money back into his pocket, and proceeded to get his ticket. He inserted the money, and out came his gateway to the metroline. "*GULP* My first time on a train since…_that_ day. Please let there be no WWW agents this time!"

***

The boy held _very_ tight onto the strap hanger he was hanging on as he rode on the metroline, very nervous and seemingly not blinking one bit. The metroline started to slow down, and he panicked, afterwards realizing it was just starting to stop for the next station and sighed in relief. The man in a tan suit beside him, reading a newspaper, took interest in his odd behavior and peered over a bit at him.

"…Something wrong?" the man asked him.

"H-HUH?!" Izumi said. "Oh, oh… First time on a metroline in six years…"

"…Oh yeah, that tragedy thing. Terrible day. Just remember though, it doesn't pay to wet yourself while on a short trip without any spare clothes."

Izumi's eyes pried wide and he slowly turned at his fellow passenger, his face hidden behind the paper (and his smile as well no doubt).

"…_If Forte EXE was here, he'd be laughing his ass off at my expense_…" he thought to himself, annoyed and grumbling. Then the train started to slow down again, and he swung his other hand on the hanger as he panicked yet again.

***

__

9:49 AM…

*knock knock*

"Huh? Who could that be?" Slider EXE walked to the terminal door and opened it. In front of her was Forte EXE.

"Yo," he greeted.

"Forte EXE! What a surprise. What are you doing here?"

"Well, Izumi gave me the day off, and since I couldn't think of anything else to do, I came here. What are you laying around here for? Shouldn't you be with Kimi?"

"No, she left me behind while she goes off to school. Are you taking me to the park again?"

"No, I have something more…_invigorating_ in mind."  
  
  
"…This is _not_ my ideal way to spend the day…" Slider complained, as he watched Forte EXE getting into the heat of battle with a Wood Tower and Mine 1 virus in an internet battle. Forte jumped to the row below him from the top as the Wood Tower's wood spikes surged through the row. He then shot a shotwave at the Mine 1, obliterating him. He then started his machine gun routine and shot repeatedly in front of him, the Wood Tower foolishly caught in the fire and deleting itself. Forte relaxed with the battle done and sighed in boredom as the 6 X 3 battlefield disappeared. "Why are we here if even _you_ are bored?"

"There's _gotta_ be some strong viruses around here!" Forte replied, ignoring Slider's complaints.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not the heat-of-battle type of Navi." Slider turned away and began walking home, waving at Forte. "I'm going--" Before she could speak, a battlefield rose up under her feet. On the other side was a Gaia 1 virus.

"A Gaia 1? Not very common in _this_ area…" said Forte. Slider got ready to fight, but she groaned in annoyance since she had to wait for the Gaia 1 virus to come up and un-petrify itself. When it did, she unleashed her rings and both hit it, causing substantial damage. The Gaia 1 unleashed its hammer wave, damaging Slider EXE. Forte suddenly became shocked and gained an uncontrollable anger inside of him, while the violet Navi just brushed off the pain. Forte started squeezing his fist tighter and tighter…

"What…did you just…DO TO HER?"

"What?" Slider heard Forte's rambling from outside the field, and saw the anger rising in him.

"YOU…LOW-GRADE…**VIRUS SCUM!!**" He shot a shotwave aimed at the virus, but the invisible wall surrounding the battlefield prevented it from doing any damage. The black Navi jumped at the field and tried reaching out to the virus, going against the wall with his hand and filling Slider with a big uncertainty. But she had no time to worry about it, for the Gaia 1 virus was about to attack again. She unleashed a charged blast from her palm and vanquished the enemy. As soon as the field disappeared, Forte almost plummeted to the floor but stopped himself, breathing heavily from his outburst while crouching on the floor.

"What is _wrong_ with you?!" exclaimed Slider EXE. "What got you into such _madness_?"

"THAT VIRUS SCUM…" Forte grunted, lifting himself upright. "Lowest beings on the net! Whenever corruption happens in it, it's either a _virus_, or a _virus_ Navi. It's _always_ their fault! They have NO RIGHT to harm ANYTHING, even the _tiniest_ bit! _ESPECIALLY_ someone like you!"

"…What did you say?"

"……" Forte sweatdropped, and slapped his forehead soon after. Slider blinked, and then gave a little giggle and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Do you _always_ act so goofy?" she asked.

"Leave me alone…"

"From what I heard, you acted like this once before."

"What?"

"Roll EXE told me how you turned around blushing when you met her."

"…That pink Navi…TOLD you about that?"

"Uh-huh. The most logical thing is that you're shy around female Navis. Is it because you think they're all--"

"LOOK_,_" interrupted Forte. "I'm not _used_ to seeing your kind. The only other beings that I've seen since I was first activated have been _programs_, _viruses_, or _male_ Navis--and that last one has been _rarely_. The only other possible females I've seen might have been female programs or viruses--but I don't even know if that's _possible_!" He turned and pointed straight at her face. "So don't you get ANY ideas about _obsessive, fan boy fascination on the opposite sex_, OR YOU HAVE **ANOTHER THING COMING!**" Forte's angry eyes did not blink once, nor did his angry expression flinch for a while. Slider blinked from a bit of surprise, but after noticing his face not changing, she settled down.

"Is there a reason you're still staring at me like that?" she said. Forte did not do a thing. "…I'm sorry, but it's just that there's nothing wrong with being embarrassed around girls like me, that's all. You don't have to be ashamed! It doesn't tarnish your image or anything."

"….."

"…I can understand for your partner, but if you want to act all strong around _me_, it's too late! You've already shown me what you _really_ are deep down inside, and personally…" She placed her index finger on the jewel of Forte's helmet, smiling. "I think you're better that way." At this point, his eyes started twitching. "Kimi kept saying how your partner seemed so lonely. Are you that too?" Forte started to clench his teeth and growled violently, but just as it reached the climax he stopped and lowered his head and arm.

"Dammit, do you have to be so _smart_?!" he bickered. "Fine, you want the INNER me? Izumi's all I have, but he's a human, and I'm a Navi. My connection with him seems so pointless! …I don't trust my abilities like I used to, and now--because of _you_--he's mocking me because he found that DAMN POEM!!"

"Don't worry about it. Friends do that to each other a lot. He wouldn't consider _any_ old program from his device as a friend, now would he?" Forte raised his head, and his widened eyes showed a possible state of enlightenment. "Come on, let's go back. I think we've done enough battling." Slider walked by him, and Forte just looked at her as her backside got further and further away. He gave a little smirk.

"_No wonder her partner sees her like a mom,_" Forte thought to himself. He ran to catch up with her. "_She's as much a pain-in-the-ass as any real mother is!_"

***

__

11:59 AM…

"DAMMIT…" swore Izumi as he climbed the steps out of the station at ACDC Town. "Can't believe I went on the wrong metroline _FOUR BLASTED TIMES!!_…I _HATE_ PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION…" He sighed, then looked up at the town he was now standing in. It was a sunny suburban town, full of people walking or running on the streets. The trees were green, the houses in good condition, and a big plus…NO CONGESTION. He walked on the sidewalk, noticing something in the distance in the corner of his eye as he passed Dekao's house. Looking in the space between Dekao's and another's house, he spotted a huge yellow mansion not too far away. "_Kimi's dad works in Navi development, right?_" he thought to himself. "_Working at such a big job_…_her family MUST be loaded with cash!_" Without hesitation, he dashed away. As he ran, he looked around the people he passed, which included both the young and the old, fat-headed and big-lipped, no-nosed and closed-eyed… "…Is Kimi the only person here not a CLONE?" he said to himself, seeing how almost everyone looked the same… He reached the mansion, oddly without any fancy garden in the front like he remembered from magazines and TV, and knocked on the big brown door. A young butler with brown hair answered the knock.

"Yes?" he asked, looking down at Izumi. "May I…help you?"

"Yeah, is this the, uh…Browser residence?"

"What? Oh no, this isn't at all. Although I _have_ heard that name mentioned by Miss Yaito before… But either way, she and the other kids should be at school--Wait, why aren't _you_ at school?"

"Oh, um… I'm a visitor to the town. Teacher in-service today in my district."

"I see…"

"Anyways, thanks." Izumi waved and walked away, and the butler closed the door. Izumi sighed again. "ARGH, I forgot it's a school day… Then again, I didn't even _know _what day it was in the first place. …I need a calendar." He saw a playground nearby, and walked on over, sitting himself on one of the many bars of a pink dome cage. "I'll just wait here until school's out." Izumi browsed the place, seeing all the happy (though eerily similar) faces strutting around outside the playground, going on with all their normal lives on the streets and in the buildings. "….Reminds me so much of Plus-Minus Town… ……"

__

"Daddy, daddy! I caught it! I caught it!"  
A five-year-old Izumi praised catching a beach ball chucked by his own father, his eyes hidden by shadows, who laughed also in joy. Izumi's mother came out of the back door.  
"Mokuba! Izumi! Lunch is ready!"  
"OK honey! We'll be inside soon!"  
Izumi struggled to pick up the ball from the ground, but it was too big and he fumbled to the dirt on his bum. Little Izumi frowned and whimpered a little, and his dad came on over and placed his hand on the boy's back.  
"Don't worry about it, son… You'll be able to throw the ball back to me someday. You just have to wait."

"…Damn you, WWW…" Izumi curled himself up with inner pain flowing through him. "Damn you to the deepest bowels of _Hell_…"

"A boy _your_ age shouldn't curse like that, you know."

Izumi unbundled himself, and turned his eyes to the right to see none other than Enzan, the white haired Net Battler. Izumi just kept laying on the cage.

"Hello…" Izumi said un-enthusiastically.

"Hello," replied Enzan, without much enthusiasm like always. "Shouldn't you be in school today?"

"Teacher in-service. Shouldn't _you_ be in school today?"

"Teacher in-service."

"Heh… How unoriginal."

"Actually, I'm a Net Battler scanning the area." Izumi's eyes shot wide open, then he became annoyed.

"You don't say… Tell me something."

"What?"

"How come you Net Battlers have been upstaged by a fifth-grader lately? Seems…unprofessional."

"…Who are you to ask me _that_?" Izumi raised himself and cocked his head over to his guest.

"Who are _your people_ to be called 'professionals', and yet screw up _endlessly_?"

"WATCH IT, YOU--"

"**NO!**" Izumi thrusted his finger right at Enzan's face. "_YOU_ watch it! You Net Battlers have _ruined_ what Net security once was! Hiring _amateurs_ and placing people's _lives_ before them is a load of CRAP! What ever happened to the famed Heroics Four? _They'_re all we need! But now thanks to the Net Battlers doing the job _for_ them, they've lost the shine they once held!!"

"**SHUT IT!** We Net Battlers have risked a lot to secure the safety of both people and Navis, _successfully_! We, the Japanese Net Battlers, are the _only_ Net Battler organization in the world! Other countries have only _yet_ to experience the improvements in Net security! So SHOW SOME APPRECIATION!" Those words somehow made Izumi snap.

"_SUCCESSFULLY?_ **_APPRECIATION?!_**" Izumi grabbed Enzan by the collar and shoved him into the nearest tree. "**WHAT _BULLSHIT!_** **BECAUSE OF YOUR _INCOMPETENCE_, I LOST MY PARENTS! AND ABOVE THAT, AN _AMATEUR_ IS DEFEATING THE WWW WHILE _YOU_ MAKE FUTILE ATTEMPTS! IF EVERYONE WAS SMART, EVERYONE WOULD BE THEIR _OWN_ NET BATTLER!**" Izumi breathed heavily from his outburst while Enzan tried to draw his face away from his apprehender. Izumi calmed down, and let go of him. The loner turned and started walking away, leaving the Net Battler just staring at his attacker in shock, then hate.

"…Curse you…" he muttered under his breath. "You and that…NETTO…"

__

***

2:30 PM…

__

RRRIIINNNGG!

The students vacated the school through the front door, the day all been and done. 

Kimi Browser carried her backpack as others zoomed by her (hey, she's finally in the fic again!). From behind her rushed up Netto and Mayl.

"Hi, Kimi!" they both greeted, walking by both of her sides.

"Oh, hello Netto. Hello Mayl," she greeted back. "So how did your math test go today?"

"I studied well!" Mayl boasted. "As for Netto…"

"_Please_ don't say it," Netto argued, covering his face. "I still can't figure out what twenty times fifty-six is."

"One thousand, one hundred and twenty," Mayl answered in a flash. Netto slowly turned his head at her.

"…How did you do that so fast?"

"You learn how eventually. So anything good happened today, Kimi?"

"Not really," the little girl said. "It was just a normal day."

"So has your dad been able to come home early yet?" asked Netto.

"*SIGH* No…" said Kimi. "He's always at work until dinner…then he does some more work at home."

"Does he _ever_ talk to you?"

"Only 'Morning, Kimi,' or 'Hello Kimi, how was your day?' when he comes home, and 'Goodnight, Kimi'." The trio stop outside the gate to the school.

"So I can guess both of you are going straight home like me, right?" asked Netto.

"Yup," answered Mayl. "I have to practice the piano again. How about you, Kimi?"

"I'm going to the playground," said Kimi. "I want to go on the swings for a bit."

"OK then. See ya!" said Netto as he walked away, Mayl right behind him. Kimi waved at them and proceeded down the sidewalk. The park looked empty, Izumi probably elsewhere now. She found the swings in the top right corner of the ground, and sat in one of them. However, she didn't swing, but just looked at the ground, looking depressed.

"….."

__

Kimi, about a year or so ago, held hands with her mother, Kagome Browser, in some other playground than ACDC's.

"Mommy, can you push me on the swings?"

"All right, Kimi."  
Her mother lifted her up on the swing.  
"Ready?"  
"Yes!"  
Kagome started pushing the child, sending the swing and Kimi a step higher into the air.  
"Higher, mommy! Higher!"  
"OK, Kimi!"  
Kagome pushed the swing her daughter was on harder, and thus Kimi went higher into the air. At one point, Kimi jumped off through the sky, and her mother gasped in thought of her daughter being hurt. Luckily, Kougorou Browser caught Kimi in his arms.  
"Kimi, you know how dangerous that sort of thing is."  
"…_I'm_…_sorry daddy."  
"…Ah, don't worry about it. Guess it is kind of fun, isn't it?"  
He gave off a little laugh, and so did Kimi. Kimi looked at her mother, still laughing, and saw her mother put her hand over her chest while giving a sigh of relief. Though then she started clenching her chest_…

__

"Mommy? Daddy?"  
Kimi came to a suspiciously quiet home one day, wondering where her parents were. She entered the living room, and saw her dad sulking on the sofa.  
"…Daddy?"  
"Oh, Kimi…_ Come here, I need to tell you something."  
Kimi came and sat beside her father.  
"Is something wrong?"  
"Well… I've been meaning to tell you this, but_…_we're moving to another town sooner than we thought."  
"…But, why? You said we wouldn't go until--"  
"There's_…_a good reason why."  
Kougorou turned to his daughter and put both hands over her shoulders, staring right into her eyes.  
"Kimi_…_ You know how mommy wasn't feeling well, and that we had to take her for a check-up to see what was wrong?"  
"_…_Yes_…_"  
"And you remember how they said mommy was very sick, and they had to keep her at the hospital to make her feel better?"_

"….._Yes_….."_  
"*SIGH* Kimi_…… _Your mother is dead._"

__

"…Mommy…" A small droplet fell down her cheek and onto the ground. She started to sniffle uncontrollably…until she felt a slight push from behind her. The force started getting stronger, and stronger, and just like in the memory she was reaching higher to the sky. Kimi looked down on the ground she was hovering above, and with one uneasy gulp…she jumped. Her landing was rough, but she managed to land on both feet. Surprised at her agility, her mouth opened with joy, and she about faced--only to be surprised at who caused the force from behind her: Izumi, with his foot on the swing (oh, _big_ suspense…).

"Yo," he simply said with a wave.

"…Izumi?" she asked, curiously. "What are you…doing here?"

"_What?" _He took his foot off the swing, walking over to Kimi. "A guy can't play in a neighborhood nowadays?"

"…You really want to _play_ with me?"

"That's the reason why I'm here. So what do you wanna do next?"

"…How about the carousel?"

"Sure, why not?" They walked on over, and Izumi insisted on Kimi going on it first.

"You grabbing on tight?" Kimi grabbed the bars, tightening her grip.

"Yes," she said.

"Then away we go!" Izumi grabbed the metallic carousel, and flung his arms forward to start the fast spinning of the silver plaything. Kimi enjoyed the fast-pace ride, while Izumi carefully looked at the spinning carousel. He counted to three with his fingers, and then successfully jumped in on the fun right beside the little girl. In no time at all, both were laughing out loud. "My god… I haven't felt this much excitement for myself in so long!" While the two were enjoying themselves, however, Kimi did not notice her hands slowly sliding off the bars. But when she did finally notice, it was too late. Kimi gasped as she was flung out of the carousel--that is, was _going_ to be, if Izumi hadn't grabbed her arm and stopped the ride immediately. Both of them were a bit startled from the whole change of mood. "Kimi, are you all right?"

"Yes…thanks to you," Kimi replied.

"Good, good." Izumi sighed in relief, smiling at Kimi. Just then, Netto and Mayl entered the playground and saw the two looking at each other.

"Hey! Kimi!" Netto called at the two, which caught the attention of both of them.

"Oh hi!" Kimi innocently waved at them, while inside the black-haired rogue felt uneasy as her two friends came on over.

"Kimi, who's your new friend?" asked Mayl.

"Oh how forgetful of me!" said Kimi. "Mayl, Netto, meet Izumi."

"Nice to meet you," greeted Mayl.

"Yeah, likewise," greeted Netto.

"A pleas--Wait a minute… Kimi, did you say, '_Netto_'?"

"Yes." Izumi just stared at Netto for a moment, creeping out the brown-haired fifth-grader a little. Izumi walked up right in front of him, looking at him like a fabulous piece of art.

"…Put 'er there!" Izumi slapped Netto's back.

"ACK!" Netto's hand was locked in a shake while Izumi's other hand was on Netto's shoulder, Izumi looking mighty pleased.

"Listen, I _love_ how you're kicking WWW _butt_! You're an inspiration to _everyone_!"

"Um, _thanks_…" While Kimi was a bit confused, Mayl looked a bit creeped out herself.

"I mean, it's so _great_ that you're showing up those Net Battlers! Personally, I think they're _worthless_!"

"Could you…let go of me now?"

"Huh? …Oh, sorry." Izumi released his grip.

"You think the Net Battlers are worthless?" asked Mayl.

"For…personal reasons…"

"So how do you know Kimi anyways?"

"…Um… Well, we--"

"We met in Dentown about two weeks ago," said Kimi. "Slider EXE fought his Navi twice, and now they've become boyfriend and girlfriend, although Slider tries hiding it…" Izumi tried to hide his snicker from that remark. "Kind of like you and Netto, Mayl."

"…Hold on there," Mayl protested. "I think you're getting a bit ahead of youself. Isn't that right, Netto? …Netto?" The boy was crouching down to the ground under a nearby tree, with streaks of blue down his face as he was cowering in dismay.

"First all of our classmates, and now even _Kimi_ thinks that way…" Netto mumbled to himself, following with a noticeable groaning. The others looked at him funny.

"…Is he sick?" asked Kimi.

"No, Kimi," answered Izumi. "Just…a bit blue for the moment."

"Um, I think I'll take him and me to our homes now…" suggested Mayl.

"Izumi, could you come to my house so we could play some more…and a bit more safely too?"

"Sure," said Izumi, "but I might need a place to sleep for the night, just 'till tomorrow. Think your dad'll permit it?"

"I'll ask him when he gets home, but why can't you just take the metroline back?"

"I'm…bad at finding my way on metrolines…"

"Oh, you need help. Don't worry, I know the right way to Dentown! I'll help you tomorrow morning." Kimi grabbed his hand and led him on their way. "Bye Mayl and Netto!"

"Bye Kimi and Izumi!" said Mayl back. "Have fun!" As they walked away, Mayl pondered what she was going to do with Netto. "_He can be such a silly boy_…" she thought, smiling a bit heartily.

***

"…And this one is Bow-wow," Kimi said to Izumi inside her room, continuing the long list of her stuffed animals with her brown dog doll. Izumi tried his best to pay attention, but his eyes were all twitchy and he smiled nervously, none of which the little girl noticed. She put the dog down and picked up a frog. "And this is Raindrop, after I bought him at the store one day when it was raining--"

"_Dear GOD, women can be such materialists--even at a young age_," thought Izumi. "_I just HAD to agree to this_…"Kimi's new doll caught his eye, though, since it didn't look ordinary like the rest of her collection. It was the little mink with the white sweater with a yellow happy face on it, shown earlier this chapter.

"And here's one of my favorites: Sweater."

"…Odd, looks a bit like a kitten to me," Izumi commented.

"I guess so…but it's one of the cutest dolls I have, isn't it?"

"Well… Can't argue with that, I guess. How'd you get it?"

"Mama gave it to me on my 6th birthday."

"…Tell me something. How's your life been ever since…"

"Since what?"

"Since… Well… You_ know_…"

"I'm sorry, but I don't."

"…Since your mother--"

"Oh…"

"If it's too sad or something--"

"No no, just…let me think. …Daddy hasn't been home much since his new job, and I have to do a lot around the house when he's gone--although the neighbors make dinner for us since I can't cook well. I wish he could come home more… But I still like playing with Slider EXE and Netto and Mayl. They're some of the best friends I ever had."

"…I guess you don't need me then, huh?"

"What?"

"I thought you were all sad without your mom or dad around… Just like me, all…"

"Scared and lonely?"

"…Heh… Good way of putting it--except for the 'scared' part."

"…Would you like to hold Sweater?"

"Huh?" Sweater was handed to him, and he looked at the mink straight at it's artificial face. Izumi oddly felt…relaxed, and grinned. "…Kinda comforting, looking into this cute little face."

"Izumi?"

"Yes?"

"Um… If you want… I could…um…"

"Go ahead, say it already."

"I could be your pretend mom for you."

"……………*PFFT*" Izumi started chuckling and gave Sweater back, making Kimi felt like she was being made fun of, so she seceded a bit from him and held her doll tight.

"I'm sorry… I just thought--"

"No no…_I'm_ sorry. Heh… I just _never_ would have expected something like _that_ coming out of you! You're a little too young to be my mother, don't you think?"

"I could pretend…"

"…How's about we be pretend…brother and sister, how's about that?"

"…OK."

*knock knock*

"Oh! Daddy's home! I'll ask him if you could stay tonight." Kimi stood up and grabbed Izumi's hand, leading him downstairs and to the front door. There, an oddly young-looking adult with brown hair and holding a labtop, took off his shoes and hanged his coat.

"Hello, daddy!" Kimi greeted.

"Hello Kimi, how was your--…day…" Mr. Browser saw with her daughter the black-haired boy. "…Kimi, who's this?"

"This is Izumi," introduced Kimi.

"Yo," Izumi greeted.

"…Nice to meet you." Without another word, Mr. Browser simply walked upstairs with his labtop, the briefness of their encounter surprising Izumi. But looking at Kimi, Izumi saw that she wasn't all that surprised like he was.

"Is it like this every day?"

"Yes. I'll be right back. I need to tell the neighbors daddy's home so they can prepare dinner for us." Kimi put on her shoes and left out the door. Izumi pondered to himself for a moment, then walked up the stairs.

***

Kougorou Browser was working hard in his room, typing wildly on his labtop as he stared into the blue screen. Slowly, anger was rising as his teeth clenched tighter and tighter, until he just had it. He saved his work, and then _slammed_ the labtop shut. He sat there in frustration, stroking his forehead.

"Dammit…" he argued. "Everyday, the work looks _so_ much the same… I'm slowly forgetting what this is all about. *SIGH*… Sure it's an honor working with Dr. Hikari, but…even _he_ has to feel like this once in a while. His son's becoming a town hero, and he's not there to congratulate Netto… But if I want to secure mine and Kimi's financial future, I _have_ to do this! …But now she just made a new friend, who I just brushed off like _that_."

'Yeah, that _was_ a bit awkward for me."

Mr. Browser heard a voice from the doorway, and saw Izumi laying right outside the room, eavesdropping.

"…Could you please leave me alone for a moment?" asked Kougorou, turning back to his desk. "I need to work on this--"

"Even though you're tired of it?" Izumi replied. "Look, Kimi may have a lot of friends, including the PET you made for her, but she still wants you around a bit more. She said it herself."

"I gathered as much… But listen, I--"

"At least she _has_ a father!"

"What was that?"

"Mr. Browser, I'm an adoptee. You probably would know me as the kid who survived the 'Metroline Massacre." Izumi took caution not to reveal he was a lone runaway. "I was only six…a little kid like Kimi is right now. I would give _anything_ to spend time with my folks again. Like Kimi, I have a Navi to keep me company, but that _alone_ can't be enough. At _least_ play with her once in a while."

"But…I don't have the time."

"I know your job is big and everything, but… If you don't have the time, how come you're able to talk to me right now?" Mr. Browser couldn't think of an answer, and just sat there, silent. Knowing he made his mark, Izumi smirked and walked away--but then remembered something and came back. "Oh, and, I need a place to stay tonight… Is it OK if I stay here for the night?"

"…Sure, sure…" Izumi walked away, leaving Mr. Browser to ponder in his room.

***

Izumi, without his black vest, set up a red sleeping bag under the pile of stuffed animals in Kimi's room, while the pajama-wearing Kimi set up her bed and fluffed her pillow.

"Blast, I'm gonna be _roasting_ in these things," complained Izumi, tugging at his clothes. "I should've packed something…" Kimi stared at him for a moment, then turned away when Izumi saw her. "…Something wrong?"

"This…is the first time I slept with a boy…" she said, nervously.

"Don't worry, you probably won't do it again in a while."

"…Izumi?"

"What is it?"

"Does Forte EXE really like Slider EXE--" Kimi realized something. "Slider! I haven't looked at her all day!" Izumi followed Kimi, who rushed to her computer and turned it on. Slider's back was turned to the screen inside the computer, so Slider didn't notice it at first. "Slider?"

"Huh?" Slider turned and saw the screen of Kimi, with Izumi behind her. "Oh, Kimi, I haven't seen you all day! …Why is he here?"

"He came over to play! Now we're pretend brother and sister."

"…That's so sweet of him."

"Don't look into it…" warned Izumi, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Hey, you haven't seen my Forte around, have ya?"

"Forte? Um… Well, I--"

"Hey Slider! Is that Kimi on the screen--"

Out of Slider's room came Forte EXE, surprised to see Izumi standing behind Kimi on the screen.

"…." Forte and Izumi didn't answer one another, and Slider secretly felt embarrassed.

"Forte…?" Izumi asked.

"…Yes, Izumi?" Forte answered back.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was bored, so I…found someone to duel with."

"…Kimi, can I talk to him alone for a moment?"

"Sure." Kimi left. The screen floated up in front of the black Navi's face.

"You didn't do anything…_extreme_ with her…did you?"

"…WHAT?!" Forte exclaimed. "YOU _KNOW_ WE NAVIS CAN'T DO THAT SORT OF THING!"

"Sorry, just making sure…"

"Making sure of what?" asked Slider EXE, who walked on over.

"Nothing, nothing. So, Forte…guess you're sleeping at someone else's house too, eh?"

"I…got bored of our place, so--_wait_, why are _you_ there?"

"I played with Kimi, all right? And I don't trust going back on the metrolines alone either!"

"…You went on a metroline? Oh, I _wished_ I could've seen that!"

"_SHUT UP_…"

"Why did you come to play with my Kimi?" asked Slider.

"…Well…I…" Izumi couldn't think of a cover story.

"Kimi's almost like Izumi, without any parental guidance. So Izumi went to ACDC Town to offer some companionship for the little girl, so there would be no chance of her ending up like the lone and rough Izumi you see before you." Forte EXE's little speech left the other two speechless. "…What? An _idiot_ could've seen that."

"Izumi, is that true?" asked Slider EXE.

"…OK, OK, it is! I…in a sense…wanted to be a vaccine to her virus of loneliness."

"…Guess you're different in the inside like Forte is," commented Slider with a little smile.

"At least it's better than my theory of you being one of _those_ kind of people…" commented Forte. Slider and Izumi both looked at him with disgust from his reference of child molesters.

"…You're disgusting…" argued both Slider EXE and Izumi.

"Wait…" pondered Izumi. "In the inside like Forte is… …So you _are_ a couple--"

"**STOP SAYING THAT!!**" shrieked Forte, which Izumi answered back with a sneer.

"Aw, c'mon. Even _Kimi_ thinks you're, and I quote, 'boyfriend and girlfriend, although Slider tries hiding it.'" Slider turned away, trying to hide her blush, while Forte was flabbergasted.

"…YOU SON OF A--"

"Sayonara!" Izumi went off, and the screen disappeared, leaving an infuriated black Navi.

"…He did it to me _AGAIN_!"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Master, did you find anything on our targets today?" A shadowed, but highly muscular man listened to his Navi on a moving metroline.

"I saw Izumi ride a metroline today at the station," the figure spoke. "It was heading to another city…where he boarded another one…and then did it again…"

"Was he lost?"

"Most likely! But I lost him at that last one--though I _did_ learn it was heading towards ACDC Town. I didn't bother following him."

"Why not, master?"

"I…ran out of money from my wallet and had to go to the bank…"

"……"

"But I'm going on a metroline to ACDC as we speak. I'll wait at the station until he moves again. Did you find anything yourself?"

"I found him battling viruses with a companion. Here's her picture." The PET screen showed a snapshot of Slider EXE from earlier today.

"Heh… So Forte EXE's become a Romeo, has he?"

"I followed them to her terminal, and it was, coincidentally, in the ACDC Town district."

"So _both_ of them are there…"

"Forte wasn't using any Battle Chips, so I presume the boy let his Navi walk himself around the Net or something. …What are we going to do, master?"

"I'll follow Izumi in the morning to wherever he might be hiding out. You keep and eye on Forte, and when I say so, strike! In no time, they'll be ours…"

"But what about that female Navi?"

"She may be what we need…"

**__**

To Be Continued…


	5. Chapter 5: Scars of the Elegy Arise

****

Fallen Angel of Black:  
The Origin of Forte EXE

__

by Baka-Sama (AKA Fatesmon)

Chapter 5: Scars of the Elegy Arise

Izumi was yawning on the sofa as he looked for something good on TV in the morning. Kimi rushed in and went towards the door.

"WAIT!" shouted Izumi, stopping Kimi. "I thought you were going to take…me…"

The boy noticed Kimi wearing a backpack.

"…Oh, right, it's Wednesday."

"Sorry Izumi," apologized Kimi, even though she was in a hurry. "But I'll promise to take you back after school! …Wait, what if people wonder if _you_ should--"

"Don't worry about it. I have a cover story or two up my sleeve."

"Okay…even though it's wrong. See you later!"

She made a mad dash to the door.

"Bye Kimi! Be careful of strangers!"

As Kimi rushed out of her house, a shadowy figure witnessed from behind a bush. He crouched back down behind it, then crawled to another bush and carefully lifted the top of his head over the bush, and saw Izumi within the household. He crept back down and activated his PET.

"What is it, master?" his Navi asked.

"I found Izumi taking residence with one of the ACDC citizens."

"Family?"

"No, he doesn't have any family outside of Plus-Minus Town...not that _I_ know of, anyways…"

"How will we get to the female Navi?"

"You just need to find her and wait for the right moment. I've estimated the correct terminal. Now all I need is to find a port for you."

***

Forte was in a predicament not common with a Navi of his caliber: cleaning up a big mess within Slider EXE's room. Dolls and manga were all strewn about, as well as some midi files and emulator files (which in a Navi's eye are just music CDs and video game cartridges/CDs). He sighed in displeasure as he placed back some books on the shelves.

"ARGH… Can't believe this is taking so long! Why did I slack off so much? Stupid video game…"

Forte recalled what happened last night.

__

"Yes! YES! I'm almost there!"  
Forte was playing Super Ghouls and Ghosts from an emulator, obviously nearing the end.  
"Um, Forte…_" spoke Slider EXE, but the black Navi was too busy.  
"YES! I DEFEATED LUCIFER! Now, Sardius, all that's left is--"  
"I better tell you that--"**  
**"Huh? What is this? _……**_WHAAAATTT?!?! I HAVE TO PLAY IT ALL THE WAY *AGAIN*--FOR SOME STUPID 'GODDESS BRACELET'?!_**"  
"I was trying to warn you."  
_"…RrrrrRRRRR**RRAAAAAGGGGHHH!!!**"  
Forte got into a mad rage and threw the controller at the wall, then went on to throw some numerous Sonic dolls in numerous directions (which Slider successfully caught one by one--ESPECIALLY her Chao dolls) and to shake up the bookshelves, plummeting all the literature in avalanches. Forte stopped there and took a breather from his sudden outburst, but then realized what he had just done and slowly turned his head to see the mess he made--and an angry female Navi.  
"_…_Um_… _My bad."_  
"_*SIGH* Listen_…_ It's late, so we'll shut down for the night. HOWEVER! As soon as you're reactivated, you will clean this up. UNDERSTOOD?"  
"Yes, mam_…_"  
"_…_Don't worry about it so much. I was a bit_…_temperamental myself when I played that game! But that still doesn't excuse you, you know that, right?"  
"Yeah yeah_… '_Mom'_…_"_

"Blasted Capcom in the old days…"

He sighed yet again, and got back to his work.

"Wonder when Slider's coming back? She can't do much, what with Kimi not taking her to school…"

Forte just stood there doing nothing for a moment, then turned his head and saw a desk with a clean sheet of paper laying on it.

"…Eh, why not? I'll take a break and…_doodle_ for a sec."

Meanwhile, Slider was elsewhere in the Net, coming out from an online store holding an online text file--erm, _book_--with the title Becoming Friends With Your Partner: The Easy Guide For Navis.

"I don't know if this will help Forte…nor if he wants it anymore," said Slider to herself, "but it's worth a try."

As she was walking, she saw a green little program running up towards her. The program was in a panic as he approached her.

"_PLEASE_, can you help me?!" the program shrieked.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"Th-there's a big virus blocking the way to my work! Can you delete it for me?!"

"…Let me see it."

"Oh THANK YOU!"

The program led her to a barren cyber-pathway, the program cowering behind her.

"It's hiding here?"

"Yes, YES!"

"Don' worry, I think I can handle it."

Slider cautiously stepped forward, looking around her for any sudden surprises. She walked through the pathway, but no viruses came forth, puzzling her.

"…I don't think it's here anymore. You can probably--"

****

BAM!

The program _slammed _her in the back of her neck, making her pass out immediately to the floor. The program smirked sinisterly as it looked down at the unconscious Navi.

"Hehehehehehe…" 

***

__

Wednesday, 2:31 PM

*KNOCK KNOCK*

"Slider?" asked Forte. "Is that you?"

Forte went to the terminal door and opened it.

"Where the _hell_'ve you been all da--"

Disappointingly, he saw only a lone program.

"…Oh. What's your pleasure?"

"I have an e-mail for this address," responded the program.

"Why isn't a Navi delivering this?"

"Not _all_ of us are filthy rich," the program said, a bit annoyed.

He handed over the e-mail and left. The black Navi closed the door behind him and looked at the delivery.

"…Too bad Slider isn't here. She's this computer's Navi."

"Yo! Forte!"

"Hm? …Hey Izumi, hey Kimi."

A screen with the two humans appeared, Kimi in the seat with Izumi behind her.

"Is Slider there? She always wants to hear what happened at school," Kimi said.

"Sorry, she hasn't been around since this morning! Went shopping, if I remember right."

"_*PFFT* A woman shopping? THAT explains it…_" thought Izumi, being a bit sexist. "What's that e-mail ya got there?"

"This? Someone delivered it just now. I can't open it since I'm not the Navi in this--"

"I can," Kimi said.

She went up to the "e-mail" command on her computer, and the letter in Forte's hands flew out of them and turned into a large white screen, viewable on both sides….though there wasn't much on there, save for an attached link.

"Huh… Doesn't say who sent it." said Izumi. "Click the link and let's see."

Kimi clicked it with the mouse, and another screen opened up--this time, of a video link. There was only a black screen, and the three just looked puzzled.

"…Advertisers must be slacking off nowadays," commented Forte EXE.

"**Hello Izumi, Forte EXE.**"

"**!!!**"

Both of them recognized the voice emanating from the white teeth that suddenly revealed themselves on the screen, growling with anger. Soon after, the face of a wide-faced and muscular man with short, light brown hair appeared.

"Izumi, who is this--" Kimi was interrupted.

"How did you find us, Derek?" demanded Izumi, slamming his palm on the desk beside Kimi's arm.

"**How could I have _not_ have? I never saw a human being with _that_ poor a sense of direction in all my life!**"

"…Oh man, the metroline!"

Izumi slapped his face in shame.

"What do you want, Derek," retorted Forte, "you bas--"

"**Now now now… All I am is a messenger, here to send a message from someone.**"

The screen changed to a most shocking sight. Slider, her appendages locked in shackles embedded upon a gray piece of digital wall, was struggling to get free, when she noticed who was looking at her.

****

"…Kimi? Izumi? Forte? Is that you?!"

"MAMA!" shrieked Kimi.

"**HOW _DARE _YOU!!**" yelled Izumi.

"**Ha ha ha ha ha ha…**"

Subtitles appeared below in response to some odd "GOK's". The camera turned towards a gray stony figure, with two large glowing eyes. Forte's fist tightened.

"**STONE MAN EXE**…" Forte growled.

"**Hello, Forte EXE. How's it been?**"

"There's only _ONE_ Navi I know who would require subtitles… **YOU BETTER PREPARE FOR A THRASHING, YOU _CUBIC PILE OF_ _SH_--**"

"**Don't worry, you'll get your chance…_"_**

"What are you _talking_ about?" said Izumi. Derek showed himself yet again.

"**As Stone Man said, just wait. If you want to get back Forte's 'girlfriend'--**"

"**SHUT UP!**" yelled the enraged Navi.

"**…*AHEM* If you want to get the _female Navi _back, all you have to do is--"**

"NO DICE!"

Izumi reached for Slider's PET and shut it off. Derek just snickered.

"**Trying to recall that Navi? Sorry, but I've interfered with the signal and put her somewhere outside the Net.**"

"Dammit…" Izumi muttered under his breath.

"**As I was saying, all you have to do is go to Dentown--if you can find your way on the metroline (hehehe…)--_with_ your PET. Meet me at _this_ jack-in port.**"

The link gave a digital map of Dentown, with a flashing red dot somewhere in the upper left side of town.

"**I'd advise you to print this out.**"

Kimi clicked on the "print" function.

****

"I want NO authorities--that _includes _Net-Battlers--and NO other Navis helping you out. …If you want, you can bring that girl with you. Only fair since we have _her_ Navi…"

"WHEN?" demanded Izumi.

"**Tonight. Anytime between seven-thirty and nine. See you then…**"

The link closed itself, and both Forte and his partner were mad as hell. Kimi grabbed onto his pretend brother's arm.

"You _have_ to help me get Mama back, _please_ Izumi!" Kimi pleaded. His scowl was replaced with a determined smile.

"Don't worry, Kimi… We'll get her back. That Goliath's gonna get what's coming to him! Right, Forte?"

"…"

"…Forte?"

Forte just raised his arm and jerked it down, like he just loaded a rifle, and glared at his partner with focused and enraged eyes that could make a demon cower. They exchanged grins. As Kimi looked worrisome, Izumi took the print-out map and just stared at it.

"_I'll finally get my chance, Derek_…" he thought. "**_REVENGE!_**"

***

__

Wednesday, 7:50 PM

The pretend siblings were walking though an alley in Dentown, stepping through a puddle as they made their way towards the kidnapper as Izumi held Forte EXE's PET in his hand. While Izumi only looked ahead, Kimi clinged onto his arm, scared as any young child her age would be in such a horrific place, holding her own PET in her other hand.

"Izumi, why didn't we tell my dad about this before we left?" asked Kimi.

Izumi stayed silent.

"…Izumi?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry. He doesn't need to know about it. I'll get your Slider EXE back _without_ any help. Besides, he probably would've called the authorities and mess everything up."

"Without help? Can you do it?"

"…Actually, I think I might need _you_ to help. After all, I need someone to cheer me on, don't I?"

"I'll cheer on as best as I can!"

"That's the spirit."

"…Who is this man we're going to? How do you know him?"

"You've heard how some parents can be bad, right?"

"In the news, yes."

They exited the alley and walked along the lamp-lit sidewalk.

"He's one of them."

"But, I thought your parents--"

"He was my _adoptive_ father. He's the reason why I ran away and hid myself in that old building where our Navis first fought. And he was a WWW agent too."

"Ohhhh…"

Kimi stayed silent for a while, as they turned and crossed the street, walking down another sidewalk.

"Thank you, Izumi."

"For what?"

"For helping me get back Slider EXE."

"…No need. It's my fault this happened anyway, and it's my responsibility to solve this predicament. _Plus I get the satisfaction of finally kicking Derek's ASS!_" the lad thought, giving a mischievous smile.

He picked up his PET and turned on the screen.

"Yo, Forte! You ready for this?"

Forte was seen just staring with a great scowl and fire in his eyes at where the terminal door would be, probably to indicate he was gazing forward to the oncoming battle, just like Izumi and Kimi were walking towards it. Izumi got no answer.

"_Oh yes, DEFINITELY_…" thought the black-haired boy.

As they walked on, some drunk with a yellow cap over his eyes stumbled on out of an alley and towards the children.

"Hey, dudes…" he murmured, reaching out his hand. "You got…any cash or anything?" Kimi immediately reached inside her purse, but then stopped and looked up at Izumi for judgement.

"…Be merciful to our fellow man," Izumi said. "Give him some."

Kimi obeyed, and handed about three zenny to the drunkard. The stranger contracted his arm and looked at the money, giving a big smile.

"Whoa! Thanks… Good luck to the new…generation!"

He thrusted his fist upward like a groupie at a concert, keeping it up as he wobbled back into another alley--and the alley wall.

"…Are you sure I should have done that?" asked Kimi.

"He's down on his luck, just like I was for a long while. I can relate to him in some ways… Now c'mon, let's continue."

"Wait, do you know…"

"Yes?"

"Do you know why that Navi can only say 'GOK'?"

"…No idea. Never thought about it, really…"

***

The two entered a square warehouse through the large entrance, all dark and only occupied with the many crates and unused machinery surrounding a big space in the middle. Walking in further, the lights suddenly turned on, causing both to shield their eyes for a moment. They noticed a weird device embedded in the clearing, which looked like a parking meter, only silver, rectangular, with no meter, and with a light on the top of it. Izumi and Kimi walked up to it and took a closer look at the thing, the little girl tucking in her PET into her purse. Another PET was already inserted in one of the holes.

"What…is it?" innocently asked Kimi.

"I'm not sure…" responded Izumi, as he walked around the device. "…But judging from the holes on the sides--and this _all too familiar _PET--I'd say it's some sort of jack-in port. Guess I'll insert mine in…"

The loner stuck his PET in one side of the device. But right after that, the doors to the entrances on both sides slammed shut, and the windows were closed with metal shutters.

"I'm scared…" pleaded Kimi, clinging onto Izumi's side.

"It's nothing, Kimi. Just stay calm."

"**Aw, c'mon. You're as scared as _she_ is!**"

Right on cue, the villainous WWW goliath Derek Rockhard just appeared from the other side of the warehouse, with a mischievous grin on his face and his arms crossed proudly. He was a tall and muscular man, with a mostly flat top of brown hair that came to a point in the front. His chest was encased in a red sleeveless shirt with gray octagons on it, and equally gray army pants over his black boots. He had his Navi's symbol below his neck, like most Navi owners, which was a gray cube tilted downward in front of a black background.

"Yo Izumi," the strongman greeted.

"YO…" Izumi responded, coldly.

The villain walked up to them, keeping the grin on his face.

"Good boy, Izumi! Held up on your side. If only you were as obedient back home."

Derek looked down at the cowering Kimi, and caused her to creep behind Izumi a little by an intimidating smile.

"Didn't know you would become one of _those_ kind of people, kid! Hanging around with little girls…" Derek snickered.

"I could say the same thing about _you_ after living with you all those years."

"…Became a smartass, didn't we?"

The brute patted the weird gadget.

"Took me an hour or two installing this thing. Now, let's--"

"AHEM…" Izumi asserted.

"…Oh right, the 'goods'."

Derek reached under his side and pressed a button. From the top of the device sprouted a wide blue screen, which then tuned in to an image of what was digitally inside. Forte EXE teleported onto an all-gray large square of panels floating in black nothingness and looked around. He spotted Stone Man EXE all the way on the other side, with Slider tied up just behind him at the edge of the square. Slider was moping down towards the floor, but life sparked back into her when she saw Forte emerge. A miniature screen appeared behind the black hero, with Izumi and Kimi on it. Kimi saw her Navi and immediately got away from Izumi, glued to the screen.

"MAMA!" she yelled, compassionately. "I hope you're okay!

"Don't worry Kimi," the violet Navi reassured, "I'm fine…but now I'm better with you--"

"AHEM…" Forte interrupted.

"Oh. And you and Izumi, Forte."

"Better."

"Ready for a smashing, my skinny and puny friend?" mocked Stone Man EXE to his former Navi victim, slamming his pillar-like hands on the ground.

"I'd worry about the smashing _I_'m gonna give _you_!" answered Forte.

"Here's how we will go through this," commented Derek. "We'll simply _fight_ over the female Navi…but not in a regular Navi duel, mind you. As usual, the first one who kicks the bucket first loses, and the other wins. However, the loser Navi won't regain all his health afterwards like always, thanks to _this _do-hickey, but just a little slip of it. A program freeze will fall upon the loser, and thus he'll be at the _mercy_ of the victor as he lays there like a statue. The victor will get the chance to do _whatever_ they want to the poor sap…even _DELETION_!"

"Bad idea on _your_ part…" said Izumi, grinning devilishly.

"You were such a spirited lad when you were younger, Izumi, and it looks like you still are. …I _hate_ you for that!"

The two males reached for their PETS, staring each other down. Stone Man and Forte glared down at each other as well.

"Wait!" called out Kimi. "What about Slider EXE?"

"Oh, the female Navi?" answered the WWW scumbag. "I don't really care about her. Either way, you'll get her back. …But in what condition depends on our little battle here."

He smacked one fist into the other palm, and smiled forebodingly. Kimi became worrisome and groaned, clenching harder to Izumi's leg.

"…Um, Kimi?" asked Izumi. "Could you let go of me?"

"Oh, right... Sorry." Kimi let go and walked a bit behind his pretend brother.

"Remember now, I need you to cheer me on, Okay?"

"Okay."

"_Someone KILL ME before this goes on further_…" thought Derek. "Ready…"

Izumi turned his attention back to the fiend. "Set…"

"**BEGIN!**"

With the partners' cries, Forte ran at Stone Man EXE, catching himself in the routine battlefield with him. He grinned.

"Still hanging in the back as always, eh Stone Man?" mocked Forte. "Too _easy_!"

His blaster glowed, then unleashed a barrage of shot waves through the rows. Forte was all confident… until Stone Man suddenly turned _all_ gray. The waves looked like they just tapped him.

"…WHAT?"

"Iron Body chip," said Stone Man EXE, reverting to normal.

A Rock Cube digitized in front of him, and he smashed the two sides of it with his hands. As Slider and Forte watched, Stone Man chucked the cube high into the air, until nothing left of it could be seen. An enlarging whistling sound caught Forte's ear, as he saw the cube coming right down at him like an anvil. Not hesitating, he jumped from the back row to the front, avoiding the cube that cracked the panel it landed on. Meanwhile, in back of Stone Man, Slider paid close attention to the Rock Cube.

"That cube… Is that…**!!!**"

__

"You dare…**MOCK ME WITH THIS?!**" Forte dashes to the cube and starts punching away at it. Slider can't make any sense of the madness.  
"**FORTE!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!**" exclaimed Izumi. "**FOCUS ON HER!!**"

"So _that_ explains it…"

Izumi was shocked.

"What in the name of--"

"Taught him some new ones!" boasted Derek. 

Forte charged and obliterated the cube with a shotwave, then swiftly sent one towards his opponent--and succeeded. The stony giant pounded his hands on the field, and sent down three Rock Cubes onto the field. Though two went in the back corners, one was falling from above Stone Man's opponent. The black Navi just smirked and simply walked to the panel behind, letting the mass thud to the floor.

"Pathetic…"

Forte was not intimidated, and blasted the thing away. To his surprise, however, one of Stone Man's hands was charging up a laser beam behind it. Unable to react in time, a pink laser was released onto Forte and did it's damage.

"FORTE!" screamed Slider, hating to see her boy--I MEAN, _companion_--be hurt so bad. Izumi snarled with his teeth, not looking too happy either. He struggled to get up after the attack, but managed.

"Heh… Managed to find a _brain_ all this time I see…" said Forte.

The gray fields emerged around them both, and Izumi and Derek both stayed focused to their screens as they loaded their Navis with their choice of battle card arsenals. The battle continued.

Forte charged up and slammed his blaster to the ground. He shot into it, and suddenly panels started glowing on Stone Man's side. Stone Man performed another Iron Body, and met every group of energy columns that bursted up from the battlefield. Though he had good protection, meeting them all still gave him a good amount of damage. Confident he had the advantage, the poncho-donning warrior leapt to the front row--but got a nasty surprise as Stone Man slammed his hand into Forte's face, sending him flying to the back in-between the two other Rock Cubes.

"Forte, get ready…" commanded Izumi. "I have a good guess what he'll try next."

"Right…"

Forte rubbed his cheek, but then witnessed another pink laser coming for him.

"**FORTE! DEFEND, NOW!**"

Reacting to his partner's demand, Forte materialized an Iron Shield from his back and brought it to the front of him. The laser met it with full blast, but made not one dent on the metal barrier. Stone Man had no idea what to do as his enemy kept up the shield, so he charged up and sent another laser. Again, no effect.

"Go, Izumi!" yelled out Kimi. "Go Forte EXE!" Izumi smiled from the backup.

"Stone Man, hit him from above," commanded Derek. Complying, Stone Man formed another Rock Cube in front of him and chucked it into the air. Realizing this, our hero got rid of the shield and leaped away from the back row. Stone Man swung a hand back.

"Hehehehe… **DUMBASS**!"

Forte apparently saw this coming, and just before the hand slammed him he unleashed a Hero Sword on him. He landed in the front, then immediately jumped away onto the top middle panel, where he laughed in pleasure. Izumi pulled down his eyelid and stuck out his tongue, making Derek angry. The gray fields emerged. The score so far: Forte EXE with five-eighths of health left, Stone Man EXE down to half. Both Derek and his Navi were becoming more and more angry. The gray fields disappeared, and soon after the remaining two Rock Cubes did too.

"STONE MAN EXE…." growled Derek.

"YES, MASTER?****" GOKed Stone Man.

"**BURY HIM IN STONE!!!**"

"**YES, MASTER!**"

Stone Man formed another Rock Cube, then chucked it into the air. Forte just smirked and walked away from the forming shadow, the Cube crashing right behind him. But Stone Man had sent another Cube, and it was falling towards his target. Forte moved again, but then another shadow formed, and he jumped yet again out of the way. One after another, Rock Cubes rained from the sky, blanketing almost every panel and missing him every time….until he got stuck in the very center. With nowhere else to jump to, he watched at the Cube coming down on him. It crumbled as it hit his head, causing damage. What's more was that he was now trapped right in the middle.

"HAHA! Now what, Forte?" mocked Stone Man. "Can't attack me without going through all these Cubes!"

"Neither can YOU, _blockhead_!" answered Forte.

"….."

Stone Man slapped himself on the side of his head. 

"You tell him, Forte!" shouted Slider EXE from behind the rocky idiot.

"…I know! I'll throw another rock!"

"…A _real_ genius at work here, folks…" commented Forte about his foe's intelligence.

Stone Man formed another Rock Cube.

"_Hehehe_…_ I love it when he doesn't think._" thought the trapped Navi.

He took out a Big Bomb and hurled it over the cube in front of him, striking Stone Man and causing him to drop and break the cube he was holding. The gray goliath shook off the feeling and got mad. Forte charged and blasted the cube in front of him with a shotwave, then jumped to the front. He charged for another special attack, then unleashed a swinging target on his enemy's side, which locked onto the humongous Stone Man. With a grin, he unleashed a machine gun-like barrage of small blasts, repeatedly hitting the giant. However, his smirk disappeared as Stone Man, while taking damage, had one of his fists begin another charge. As soon as Forte stopped, he tried getting out of the laser's range, but being cornered on all panels but the one right behind him, he was unfortunately hit. Slider turned her face away from the carnage, while Izumi sneered. The gray shields arose yet again, with both Navis breathing harder.

"**DAMMIT!**" shouted Derek, pounding the edge of the device hard and making a dent in it. Izumi and Kimi witnessed his outburst of rage. "Damn that NAVI BETRAYER!"

"What?" asked Izumi, stirred by what Derek just said. "Did you say…'betrayer'?"

"…**NO! **Now shut your--"

"You _know_ something, don't you? What is it?"

"Izumi, what are you talking about?" asked Forte, hearing in on the conversation.

"He knows something about you."

"…_REALLY_?" Forte pointed towards his stony foe. "Fess up, Stone Man! What is it that you're hiding?"

Both Derek and his Navi stayed silent. Kimi and Slider both looked at the ones being interrogated.

"….**TELL US!**" shouted Izumi and his Navi in unison.

Derek was still silent, but then gave a little smirk on the side of his mouth. "You wanna know?"

"**YES!**" The black haired boy answered enthusiastically.

"Heh… Fine then. This battle's nearly over, and this one's probably gonna end our little 'war' for good. So here's the secret. …Forte EXE is a _WWW virus Navi_."

"….**WHAAAAT?!?!**"

Izumi, Kimi, Slider, and Forte himself were shocked from the revelation.

"Listen here. Years ago, we were developing the ultimate viral Navi, to get rid of all our problems once and for all. But the same scientist that started the project, quickly ended it. He went soft and stole Forte EXE while he was still deactivated, deleting all the files we had on Forte too. He ran from us for a long time, but then… We found him at a metroline station about six years ago. Guess what happened next?"

"….." Izumi was silent.

"Stone Man EXE **SMASHED!**"

Stone Man slammed his hands down on the ground with pride.

Derek continued. "We were to demolish the train he boarded, and get rid of both _him_ and the PET. It was too big a risk to try and snatch it away from him with so many people around. Someone might've told the authorities about it, and then they might've wised up on us! Too bad he somehow got away and ended up in Dentown. HEHEHE… The poor suckers."

"…So all those people…?" Kimi spoke.

"Just got in our way."

"…You…bastard…" muttered Forte, softly.

"…Forte…" said Slider EXE, catching the attention of her savior and captor. "Don't…feel so bad. Even _if_ you're a WWW Navi…you're better than any that I've ever met!"

"…Thanks… Slider…" Forte was grateful for his companion's kindness…though secretly embarrassed inside that he was showing goodness in front of the enemy.

"…Was he tall and had dull brown hair?" asked Izumi.

"…Yeah, I think he was!" answered Derek.

"…_That man in the station_…"

Izumi flashbacked to just after his parents died, remembering how some man in a white overcoat ran by him the other way as he himself ran in an upset tantrum, and how later he mysteriously found Forte EXE's PET soon afterwards in his pocket.

"ANYWAYS… While we chased him for a while until we gave up, our organization found out _you_ had our little toy. After adopting you, I found how our project got attached to you emotionally. At first all we cared about was the Navi, but now that he was devoted to you it gave us problems of having him cooperate, so _you_ had to join in the fun. So I was ordered to train you to be a WWW agent, to use Forte EXE to the fullest. …But then you ran off. And now, as soon as we're done, your digital friend will be downloaded and sent back to HQ. We won't _need you _anymore, now that we can simply reprogram him with new techniques we have!"

Both Izumi and Forte stared at the ground, both in dismay, while Kimi and Slider EXE felt sorry for their friends. Kimi sympathetically came up and rubbed Izumi's back.

"It's OK, Izumi. It's OK…"

"I thought you _hated_ the WWW, Izumi," mocked Derek, with a wicked smirk. "So why is it that you're hanging out with one of their Navis?"

"…Tell me something," commanded Izumi to Derek. "Were you the one who performed that stunt a few months ago at the metroline re-opening?"

"Yeah," said Derek, "so what?"

"….Hehehehehe…."

"Huh?"

Both Derek and Kimi were puzzled at the sudden action of Izumi.

"….Hehehehehe…. **HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA**!"

Izumi suddenly bursted into laughter, even making the scene more of an enigma to his witnesses.

"It all makes sense! _NOW_ I see what you're doing here! …You got fired, didn't you?"

"**WHAT?!**"

"I _KNEW_ IT! YOU'RE TRYING TO _GET YOUR JOB BACK_!"

"GGGRRRRRR**RRRRRRRR**…."

"You got fired after getting beat up by that Netto kid! Guess you screwed up enough, huh? And then all of a sudden, you find _me_ again. And then you think, 'Hey, if I can get back that Navi, Boss'll hire me again! YEAH!' And so here we are. I never thought you could be so _sad_!"

"**STOP IT… STOP IT NOW…**"

"How much did it cost, hm? To bring back Stone Man EXE after he got his _butt_ kicked to oblivion?"

"**_SHUT UP! SHUT UP! _**…**_SHUT UP ONCE AGAIN!_**"

Mad as mad can be, he quickly got back to preparing his Navi for the final phase, and Izumi copied him. The battle began again…for the final time.

To Forte EXE's misfortune, the cubes did not disappear yet, leaving him open for another attack. Thusly, Stone Man sunk burrowed his fist into the ground, and prepared yet another pink laser. Forte slowly crept backwards, looking fearful as he was cornered, and the laser fired. But unexpectedly, he smiled and unsheathed another Iron Shield, taking the full blast head on. As his opponent laughed at his misfortune, the stony Navi got mad. Forte looked away from Stone Man, and towards Slider.

"Hey Slider," he called out. "Consider this attack dedicated to you."

Slider didn't get it. "What?"

"Hey Kimi!" Izumi said to the little girl. "Come over here and watch what happens!"

"O…okay." Kimi came and stared upward at the screen. Derek just cocked an eyebrow, thinking nothing of the showoffs. Forte EXE thrusted out his arm, and before him emerged…Slider EXE?

"HUH?!"

Derek was flabbergasted at the move, and so were the others--save Forte and his partner--but there it was, a Slider EXE right in front of Stone Man's face. Slider and Kimi looked at it a while, then understood what it was.

"My Slider EXE battle card!" the two females said in unison. After doing nothing for a moment, the Slider doppelganger extended both her arms, and shot out her rings like Frisbees, just like the genuine article. Both smacked the rocky bastard right in the face, and swung back through the rock cubes, back to the Navi summon. The copy disappeared, and Kimi became a little ecstatic.

"YAY FORTE!" she shouted, giddy like…well, a school girl.

Izumi laughed heartily from his "sister's" antics.

"Someone GAG me…" commented Derek, sick at the sentimentality from the scene.

Stone Man was losing his temper by the minute, but then rage turned into horror as the Rock Cubes finally dissipated.

"YES!" celebrated the black Navi. "Now I can **FINISH YOU OFF**!"

Forte swung out from his poncho a Hero Sword, and jumped towards the golem from the WWW with a battle cry. Too bad though that Stone Man managed to smash him in the face with his hand just as he was about to swing the sword. Driven back to the floor of the back row, he shook his head as the Hero Sword disappeared, a good waste of a perfect attack, and got himself back up. He began charging his blaster in the same old multicolored fashion, then swung the thing at Stone Man. Stone Man quickly used Iron Body again, and Forte unleashed waves of shotwaves that plowed through the rows. Immediately as the Iron Body deactivated, Stone Man threw up another Rock Cube into the air.

"Oh boy, _such_ originality!" teased Forte, as the Rock Cube fell towards a panel he wasn't even on. But Stone Man then pounded the field, and three more cam falling down. Forte was surprised by this combo, and quickly got away from the one falling towards him. But he was unfortunate, for he went over one panel too many, and got hit by another of the trio. Regardless, Stone Man was losing; he was down to his last sixteenth, while Forte still had an eighth of his health still there. Derek started to sweat and twitch his eyes.

"Looks like you can say goodbye to that promotion, Derek…_and_ your stupid excuse of a Navi!"

"**GGGGGRRRR…**" Derek did not take the insult lightly. "STONE MAN… WE NEED TO TAKE A RISK HERE…"

"…Yes, master!"

Stone Man threw up another Rock Cube. Forte didn't care, as it landed right behind him.

"…_That_ was your big ri--"

"**RRRAARRRGGGHH!!**

He smashed both hands through the battlefield, and had them reappear on his enemy's side, surrounding him on both sides.

"WHAT?!"

"OH NO!" Slider exclaimed.

Both hands turned their mugs at Forte, and began charging up.

"**FORTE!**" exclaimed Izumi, while Kimi gasped. The hands fired, pressurizing the black virus buster between two pink beams. He screamed in pain as the others looked on. Oddly, Stone Man was vibrating more and more by the second.

"**YYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!**" Forte couldn't bear the pain. But as the beams continued on, Forte slowly drew out his blaster and aimed it at Stone Man. Both his enemy and the partner who owned him started to panic. "**I….WILL….DEFEAT….YOU…_NOW_--**………."  
  
  
  
It was over. Forte suddenly stopped, and as the beams dissipated, he dropped to the ground like a rag doll. Izumi, Kimi, and Slider gasped while Stone Man and Derek took a sigh of relief. The field disappeared from underneath the two fighters.

"…RRRGGGHHH…"

Forte's body stirred, and the Navi slowly lifted himself up. But as he tried standing up, gravity seemed to take its toll, as he was forced back to the floor on his knees. "I….CAN'T….MOVE…."

Stone Man EXE took pleasure in his enemy's condition, slamming his hands together above his head.

"…What was it?"

"Huh?" Derek didn't understand Izumi.

"What was this 'big risk'?"

"…Look at my health."

Derek pointed to his PET screen. Izumi looked at his, and noticed that Stone Man's health bar had as much as Forte: an almost microscopic slip.

"…What the…?"

"That two-beam attack puts a lot of pressure on Stone Man EXE. Usually I wouldn't need to use it, but with so much on the line… Luckily, Forte was damaged faster than Stone Man EXE! **HA, HA, **and **HA** again!"

"…Dammit…"

"Wh…what are you going to do to Forte?" asked a worrisome Kimi.

"Download him. Stone Man, do your worst!"

"Yes, master!"

Stone Man slowly walked up towards his helpless foe, and raised up one of his hands. On the bottom of his hand, some silver ring with a metallic spike in the middle of it slowly formed. The rocky golem slowly placed his hand on the side of the black Navi's head, pointing the spike towards the center of his ear.

"No… Forte, No…"

Slider EXE tried every bit to not believe what she was seeing, but it was hopeless.

"Afterwards, Stone Man," ordered the WWW agent, "rough up that female Navi."

Kimi protested, "_NO!_"

"You _deserve_ to have some fun! HEHEHEHEHEHE…."

"…Sorry, but…"

"Huh?" Derek heard Forte's voice.

"You're not…**GETTING THE CHANCE**!"

All were shocked as they saw Forte raise up his blaster right in Stone Man EXE's face, charging it up to unleash his fury.

"**WHAT?!**" screamed out Derek.

"Forte, you sly devil you!" praised Forte's partner.

"But… **BUT HOW?! THE PROGRAM FREEZE SHOULD'VE--**"

*zzzt*

"Huh?"

Derek saw a spark fly out from the device, mostly from where he dented the contraption.

"…**DAMMIT!**" 

Stone Man leaned to the side, and Forte fired. The stony fiend barely missed the shot as it went through the space between his body and his floating hand, and would've tipped over had it not been for the support of his other hand. However, it did blast away one of the shackles that restrained one of Slider's hands on the big wall section. Stone Man balanced himself back upright, and growled louder and louder as his temper rose. Derek followed a similar fashion, but to a lesser extent anger-wise. "STONE MAN! **RESTRAIN HIM, _NOW_!**"

"**YES, MASTER!**"

Stone Man raised up his hand into the air, Forte worrying on what might happen to him. He started charging another blast, but he was unlucky, and Stone Man _slammed_ his hand on the black Navi's chest. Both Kimi and her Navi gasped.

"**FORTE!**" yelled out his human partner.

Forte struggled a bit to get free, pushing against Stone Man's hand, but then his arms just fell to the ground.

"….Heh…." Forte tried the best to smile.

"Forte?" said Izumi, hearing his Navi's faint chuckle.

"Hey Izumi… I've been wanting to ask you something."

"What? What is it?"

"Did you ever…consider me useless?"

"…Of course not! Where did you ever get _that_?"

"I'm…glad…"

"What's he babbling on about?" said Derek. "This is getting too--…..**OH NO!!**"

He shrieked as he saw a tiny sparkle fly from Forte's body…and then two more…and then four. Slowly, the sole of Forte's foot from under Stone Man's hand was slowly fading away.

"He's… He's…being deleted!" said Kimi.

"**NO! FORTE!**" shouted the black-haired loner.

"NO… NOT MY LAST CHANCE…" moaned the helpless Derek, who was a bit out of place. "**NO! NOT MY LAST CHANCE TO REJOIN! _NO!_**"

"…No… NO…"

Slider EXE's eyes started to twitch, as denial fought against the truth within her mind. The deletion was becoming faster and faster, up to the point where half his body was now gone.

"Slider…" called out Forte.

"Y…_Yes_?"

"Be a…good protector of Kimi for me…for yourself… At least you'll have the chance…to see…your partner…grow…."

The heroic Navi smiled to the bitter end, as his head suddenly shattered into millions of tiny lights, which flew up into the air and beyond. Slider just stopped right there and broke into tears.

"…Forte?"

"No…" said Izumi faintly. "Forte…"

"**FORTE!!!!!**"

Both the boy and the female Navi's heads bowed down towards the crowd, tears going down and staining the floor below each of them. Kimi slowly put her hand on Izumi's back, although it was shaking.

"It… It's OK, Izumi…" the girl comforted. "At least Forte EXE's not in the WWW's hands…even if he's…he's…HE'S…"

Her concentration shattered, and so she began to free the tears from her eyes as well, crying out like any child her age could while she hugged the boy's waist tight. Meanwhile, Derek's rage had reached it's limit, as he just slouched there on the other side of the machine.

"…Stone Man EXE…"

"…What is it, master?"

"I think it's best if we send some company down with our newly departed friend…"

Derek raised himself upright and gave the thumbs down.

"**SEND THE NAVI _BITCH_ TO HELL _WITH HIM!!!_**"

Kimi stopped her crying then and there.

"**WHAT?!**" she called out, letting go and rushing away from Izumi and to the WWW agent, grabbing onto his pants leg. "NO! _PLEASE, DON'T_--"

"**DO IT!!**"

At the same time he gave his command, he also swung his arm and brushed the poor first grader down to the floor. As the girl raised her upper body up, she gasped as she saw Izumi slowly walking away, his head downward and the deceased Navi's PET in his hand.

"**IZUMI! PLEASE, HELP ME PLEASE!**"

"…Y-YES, MASTER!"

****

CRACK!

Stone Man EXE turned to behind him, the source of the sound. Slider EXE, with her freed arm crossing her chest and shadows hiding the expression of her eyes, just blasted the shackle for her other arm with a shot from her palm jewel. In front of her captor, she crossed both arms as she reached down to her legs and shot the remaining two tools of imprisonment, landing to the ground standing on her feet. As she walked forward, the shadows disappeared, showing her eyes once more. Droplets of tears rested in the corner of her eyes, now flaming with determination as she grimaced towards the murderer.

"Kimi," called out Slider EXE. "Put in my PET so I can come back in it…soon as I teach _him_ a lesson."

"Okay…" Kimi got back up and took out the contraption, inserting it. Slider stared coldly at the rocky Navi, walking two big steps towards Stone Man.

"…Hehehe…" guffawed Derek. "You _really_ think you have a chance to defeat _me_?"

"I don't need to battle him. I can finish him here and now. Besides, does Stone Man EXE have _anything_ you can call a 'chance' himself?" talked back Slider EXE.

"Heh… Spunky. Sorry, but I think--**!!!!!!!**"

As Derek turned to his PET's screen, he saw how low Stone Man's health still was from the battle with Forte.

"**_CRAP!_**" he thought. "_I forgot… The device didn't heal Stone Man either after the fight! I forgot all about the disadvantage about this do-hickey! DAMMIT!_"

The violet Navi, not deterring at all from her target's face, finally made her move. She slowly spread out her arms and began to charge them, the jewels in her palms and on her forehead shining like wild. Derek began to panic.

"I'm sure Forte will like it when I send you down. It'll help him past the time as he beats you again and again!"

"YOU… **NAVI BI--**"

"Time to PAY for your crimes! ….**TRI-BEAM!!**"

She unleashed a light blue triangular shot at the stunned-with-fear Stone Man.

"**GOOOOOOOOOOOKKKKK!!!!"**

A triangular-shaped crevice replaced the area around his head. Thusly, the rest of his body started to burst into little lights. Derek's jaw dropped in shock.

"**STONE MAN EXE!**" he cried out.

"…Slider…" muttered out Kimi. "You…deleted him!"

"I know you didn't want to see that, Kimi," apologized her Navi. "I'm sorry-- …What?"

The violet Navi spotted something where Stone Man EXE once stood. Coming further to it, it appeared to be a piece of paper flat on the floor. She leaned down and picked it up. On it was written, "LOOK INTO IT". She saw something showing through from the other side. She flipped it over, and now looked at an averagely drawn piece of artwork. It was a sketch of a deformed Forte EXE and Slider EXE, smiling and holding hands while they looked away from each other, blasting away viruses on the edge of the paper. Hearts were floating above them… The Navi realized what significance this little sketch had, and suddenly the tears came back.

"…Oh my God… …Forte…"

"**EEEK!**"

"*GASP* **KIMI!**"

Kimi was grabbed by the collar and raised above the ground, forced to stare into the hellish eyes of the enraged WWW flunkie. The poor captive whimpered as fright consumed her, as his breath kept masking her face as he panted.

"Maybe I can show…" said Derek, "how _desperate_ I am to get back to them…_BY KILLING YOU_… Yes, _that's_ it…**_THAT'S IT!_**"

Derek chuckled insanely, a _very_ wide grin spreading from his mouth.

"LET GO OF HER, YOU **MALICIOUS SPAWN OF _HELL!!_**"

From out of nowhere, Izumi ran back screaming, wielding a pipe in both his hands.

"WHAT--"

****

BAM!

"**GGGHH!**"

Izumi had swung upward from the ground, hitting Derek right *there*. And I _do_ think you know what I mean by that. The goliath shuddered from the pain, and eventually his grip on the first grader loosened, dropping her to the ground.

"…You…little…"

"**HAAA!**"

The attacker leapt and swung the armament right into his jaw, making Derek stumble back a bit. As the fiend slowly turned his head back, he was whacked again on the left side. Then the right. Finally, he was hit across the throat, striking his Adam's apple and causing a shortness of breath. With that, Izumi finally succeeded in making him keel over to the ground. The loud THUMP was followed by Kimi's gasp from witnessing such a thing. The lad took a breath, but then walked up slowly to Derek's body and stood right above him, looking down at his face. He raised the pipe high…

"You took away my parents!"

****

BAM!

"**AAAHA!" **Derek yelped with pain from the blow to his head.

"YOU TOOK AWAY MY HUMANITY!"

****

BAM!

"PLEASE… STOP IT…" he pleaded, as his head rested on it's right side.

"**YOU TOOK AWAY MY BEST FRIEND!**"

****

BAM!

"**PLEASE…**" Derek was now on his left side, pitiful as one could be.

"**AND NOW YOU TRIED _HURTING ANOTHER INNOCENT CHILD?!_**"

****

BAM!

"**STOP…**"

"**_NEVER!_ **Like you all those years…**I'M NOW DEAF TO THE WORD 'MERCY'!!**"

Izumi struck him again…then again…and then again, more faster… He was presently in a frenzy of hurting as he swung the pipe at Derek's head, again, and again, _and again_,_ AND AGAIN--_

"**STOP IT!!!**"

Izumi stopped his attack, and slowly with the rage still in him, cocked his head towards the little girl Kimi Browser, who was not only weeping and crying, but cowering away from the lad.

"You're hurting him!" she cried out. "I know he's a bad man, but… *SNIFF* You're scaring me, Izumi!"

The madness escaped Izumi as he came back to his senses. He loosened the grip on the pipe, sending it down to the floor. With shock on his face, he slowly turned back to Derek. He witnessed a trickle of blood pour down the side of the WWW agent's mouth, filling his attacker with even more horror. He reached down and snapped his fingers in front of the fallen's face. Nothing. He turned back to the child.

"He's been hurt enough…"

Izumi was speechless.

"_Oh dear God_…" he thought. "_I just_… _I JUST_…_KILLED HIM_…"

Suddenly, something long suppressed came back into his thoughts as he stared into the first grader's waterlogged eyes.

"_NO! STOP IT--"  
Little seven-year-old Izumi was struck down to the floor by the back of Derek's fist. Before he could raise himself, Derek pounded his foot on his back, pinning him down.  
"Please_… _PLEASE stop it_…"  
"_I WILL, as soon as you start getting tough!"  
"But_… _ I don't wanna be--"  
"SHUT UP!"  
Derek raised his foot and SLAMMED it onto the little guy's back.  
"**AAAAHAA!**"_

Izumi just realized, all the years with that horrendous monster left more of an imprint on him than he first believed. Now HE was being a monster, influencing Kimi in all the wrong ways. Bowing his head down and feeling guilty, he walked up towards the sobbing Kimi, and leaned down to her height. He put both arms on her shoulders, and looked at her _straight_ in the eyes.

"Kimi," the boy spoke. "I want you to listen to everything I'm about to say to you."

"*SNIFF* Okay…"

She bowed her head slowly.

"Kimi, I want you to try and forget what happened today…and forget about seeing _me _ever again."

"…W-what?"

"I want you to go and take Slider back home, and live your life like you normally do. But I don't want you coming back to Dentown to see me. Because I won't be here."

"What?! But…why--"

"I'm sorry, Kimi, but it's for the best. …But if by any chance, the police find out about what happened here, and ask you about it…tell them. Tell them _everything_ you know."

"But…you could be arrested! Why?"

"Because I can't stand to see an innocent girl like you _lie_. And besides, I've been through worse! Now promise me…promise me you'll do what I ask."

__

"…I'll…try…"

"Good girl."

Izumi helped wipe off one of her tears.

"That's my 'sister'."

He raised himself back up, giving off a smile. Walking back to Derek's body, he searched around until he found the remote Derek used earlier in a pants pocket. He pointed at the way he and the girl entered, and the shutters gave off a mechanical sound as all of them opened.

"Now go. Take Slider EXE back home."

Kimi went to the device and went onscreen in cyberspace.

"Mama?"

"KIMI!" her Navi shouted. "Oh, thank goodness! From that yell, I thought--"

"Let's go home now… Daddy's probably worried sick!"

"…But what about Izu--"

"He…wants us to leave. I'll tell you later, okay?"

"…Okay, Kimi."

"Slider EXE, jacking off." 

Kimi yanked out her PET, and Slider EXE phased out of cyberspace. She looked at Izumi, just standing there and looking back at her, still trying to look pleasant. Though she hesitated at first, Kimi eventually rushed out of the warehouse. Now, all alone, Izumi turned away, to the other entrance of the building. He started walking away, then stopped for a moment and shifted to running. He ran out and into the streets, emotional and starting to form tears himself.

"_Dammit_," he thought. "_I wasn't a vaccine to her virus_… _I just upgraded it! Why did it have to end this way--_" "**OOF!**"

Izumi fell backwards as he bumped into someone. Shaking his head, he looked up at his guest.

"Do you _mind_?! I'm in a hurry--**!!!**"

As he looked at the man's face, he recognized him from his past. Tall, gaunt, blonde hair, blue glasses… This was…

"*GASP* You're… You're the--"

"Are you Kitzunare Izumi?" the man asked.

"Yes…"

"Good, good… Is Forte EXE with you?"

"…You're too late."

"…He's been taken, hasn't he?"

"NO… He's been _deleted_! And thanks to one of _your_ buds no less!"

"…."

Izumi got up and brushed the filth off of his clothes.

"I _know_ who you are," went on the black-haired loner. "And the _last_ person I want to see right now is YOU! It's _your_ fault _and_ the WWW's that my life's a living HELL! I don't know why you'd _care_ about getting Forte back, but--"

Izumi was interrupted, as the ex-agent of the WWW suddenly wrapped his arms around him…in a hug?

"I'm…so sorry," the man said. Izumi felt a bit creeped out.

"…_What are you doing_?"

"I know I put a burden on your shoulders… I came to get you and Forte EXE away before the WWW--."

"**A** burden?"

Izumi chortled and swung away the man's arms.

"Make that _two_, now. I just _killed _the same guy that followed you on the metroline! So if you don't--"

"You WHAT?!"

"You heard me! He tortured me my whole life because you gave me Forte, and just tried to kill a poor innocent girl I was…hanging out with! He _deserved_ it! …But now I'm in al of trouble…SO GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

Izumi pushed him to the side and started walking off. The man just looked at him, then turned away and adjusted his glasses.

"You know…" the man proposed, "I know somewhere where you could hide 'till it's all right again."

Izumi stopped in his tracks. Annoyance shaped his face as he thought it over. Then he slouched and sighed, giving in to the idea.

***

The door to an empty house, in the middle of the night, crept slowly open as a man lurched in like a zombie into the development. With a groan like the living dead, he reached towards the light switch, and flipped it. The darkness was now illumination, and the figure turned out to be--….DEREK ROCKHARD?!

"Dammit…" he muttered. "That kid must've worked out after he left me! …Or maybe I shouldn't have trained him so hard…"

Derek turned and spat out a tiny amount of saliva and blood on the floor. Leaning on the walls, he slowly crept towards the other room on the left.

"*SIGH* Good to be back in the old home… I'm sure Izumi would've liked it, HEH-HEH-HEH…"

He entered, and there by the window's side was a simple metallic desk, with a computer and some fitness magazines piled up beside it. He slowly paced himself and pulled up the chair, sighing in relief.

"Took me what I had left just to get to the metroline station! …But now what do I do? …Maybe I can think about it over a little Internet time."

He turned on the inactive computer and set his mouse to open the Internet. When he got in, he checked his e-mail. Only one was there, labeled "OPEN IMMEDIATELY".

"…What the hell?"

He shrugged his shoulders, and opened it. A vid-link quickly opened, showing a live broadcast of a man with a yellow hood just above his eyes; the drunk from Dentown.

"**Well it's about time!**"

"…Boomer? …BOOMER, it IS you!"

"**Been a while, hasn't it?**"

"It's great to see a fellow WWW agent again! Tell me, how's Bomb Man EXE?"

"**Eh, his usual destructive self**."

"And the others! Kenichi, Madoi…even that light show Harushaku! How are they holding out?"

"**Not too good… Think they got the pink slip, same reason why you did.**"

"…The Hikari brat."

"**Yup!**"

"DAMMIT… *SIGH*"

"**Yeah, things're getting pretty _sucky_ nowadays… Hope life's been treating ya good!**"

"No such luck… I tried getting back Forte EXE from--"

"**That Izumi kid?**"

"Yeah! How did you--"

"**Kinda a nice kid. Just had to act drunk off my ass, and he helped get me three bucks!**"

"…You've _met_ him before?"

"**Yeah, just this night!**"

"…Really?"

"**Yup. Tell me something… What did WWW protocol number five and six say again? I kinda forgot.**"

"Um… 'You are to refrain from making any actions that might endanger the security of the organization, especially after leaving the WWW.' And six was…'Your Navi is to be in the possession of the WWW after departure from the organization, functioning or otherwise.'"

"**Doesn't seem you followed those rules, huh?**"

"Where are you getting at?"

"**Derek, bringing back Stone Man EXE _and_ this little charade with the kid could've meant _big_ problems for the WWW.**"

"The authorities never found me. And Izumi was told not to--"

"**But what if he _did_? You could've been captured! Then one dose of truth serum, and BOOM! The WWW's screwed _big time_!**"

"And your point is?"

"**…Nothing, really, I guess. …Kinda envy ya, Derek. You have the chance of going to a better place!**"

"…Better place? Don't kid me, Boomer! The only job I could ever join now would be construction! How could _that_ be a better--"

"**HEHEHE…**"

*beep*

"**!!!**"

Derek was horrified as he head the loud beeping. He slowly shifted his head downwards, and there, right on his pants leg, a small rectangular timer was attached over a rip in the pants leg just recently made. The timer was at 00:15. Derek reached for it to take it off, but a small jolt of electricity drove his hand away.

"…BOOMER, _PLEASE_ DON'T DO THIS!"

"**Sorry buddy, but I've got orders from the boss himself. You've screwed up more than _twice_ now, _and_ you're a threat to security! Pretty bad combo I say!**"

Derek turned back and started begging in his seat.

"PLEASE BOOMER, **STOPTHIS!** TURN IT OFF! TELL HIM I CAN--"

"**No can do! Then _I'd_ have to be taken out!**"

****

**00:09**

"**PLEASE BOOMER, _PLEASE_!** **WE WERE _COMRADES_!**"

****

**00:07**

"Sorry Derek. You'll just have to take it like a man. Besides, I'd _never_ miss the chance to blow stuff up…even if it was my own mom!"

****

**00:04**

Derek looked back at the bomb and whimpered like a puppy, in a sweating frenzy.

"**Just remember this line--**"

****

**00:03**

"**--as you go sky high, Derek.**"

****

**00:02**

"**_WWW…_**"

****

**00:01**

"**_FOREVER!!!_**"

****

**00:00**

"**_YOU BAST--_**"

****

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMM!!

****

…


	6. Chapter 6: Fallen Angel Remix

****

Fallen Angel of Black:  
The Origin of Forte EXE

__

by Baka-Sama (AKA Fatesmon)

Chapter 6: Fallen Angel Remix

_And thus, the authorities have drawn the case of the mysterious bombing incident in the outskirts of Hookup Town to a close. There was only one confirmed victim, who was suspected to have had the bomb itself attached to him, pointed out from remnants of a device clinging onto his pants leg. As stated before, no one in the nearby town knew the place existed at all, nor anyone who might have lived there, though some heard activity once in a while from the area. The police were clueless as well, for the body was too burnt and damaged to make any type of identification. However, Net Battlers were able to identify the man as WWW agent Derek Rockhard, suspect in the so-called Metroline Massacre incident. Police forces got no leads at all about the reason for the bombing of this crime, but theories state it might have had to do with internal problems in the WWW. In my opinion_…_sucks for that poor bastard, but he had it coming to him! And in other news-- _…_What?_

A few months later, Sunday…

It couldn't have been a more joyous time for all in the glimmering ACDC Town. Why? Because the local town hero, Netto Hikari, put a stop to the WWW's horrendous Dream Virus _and_ the organization itself not too long ago. But also…it was _SUMMER_! The word synonymous to "freedom" for children everywhere, and "quality time" for their Navis. No crime, no bad weather, no lonely days inside the computer, no hard days at works (to an extent), NO SCHOOL… Yup, everyone was enjoying themselves! Even our own Kimi Browser and Slider EXE, who were presently burrowing into the depths of the Internet on a little afternoon "adventure".

"Wow! I never knew these high-level viruses could be so _easy_," spoke Slider EXE as she went on through the Net. "Kimi, where did you get all those new Battle Cards?"

"Didn't I tell you?" talked back the little girl from her seat in front of the computer, with her doll of Sweater in her arms. "I got a lot of them from my birthday."

"Oh right, your…birthday…" Slider seemed a bit upset about something as her tone changed.

"…What's wrong? Didn't you like my birthday party?"

"Oh no Kimi, of course I did! It was the days _before _that I didn't like…"

__

*KNOCK KNOCK*  
"Who is it?" Slider EXE heard the loud knocking from the terminal door. No answer, so she came on over. She opened it…_and got a terrible surprise. Guts Man EXE was struggling as he was suspending a large bin, chock FULL of e-mails.  
"_…_Guts Man EXE? What's all--"  
"Got suckered_…_into being delivery boy," Guts Man grunted.  
"What ARE all of these e-mails for?"  
"For Kimi_… _Birthday_…_cards_…"  
_"_…_ALL of these?"_ _Slider sweatdropped.  
"Here_…_YOU_…**_GO!_**"  
With a thrust of his arms, he poured down the e-mails on the worrisome Slider.  
"No, no wait, WAIT--**AAAAAAAAAAAHH!**"  
The poor violet Navi was buried with the birthday greetings, which covered the entire computer floor. Guts Man chucked the bin aside and walked away, more joyous now that the burden was off his shoulders. Some e-mails disappeared as they touched Slider, revealing her in a KO'ed state.  
"@_@ Happy birthday, Kimi… _I made the cake myself_…"

"I still wonder if Navis can even _get_ paper cuts…"

"I'm sorry Mama…" said her partner sympathetically. "I didn't know getting so many e-mails could _hurt_ you!"

"It's okay, Kimi. It wasn't your fault-- Huh?"

Slider abruptly stopped, for in front of her was an odd, light blue holographic-looking gate with a "?" on it.

"It's another one of those gates… Hope I can pass this one too."

"…YOU HAVE MET THE REQUIREMENTS. YOU MAY PASS."

The gate dissipated, leaving the way to the next sector. The Navi walked onward.

"Do you know what those things are, Mama?" asked the little girl.

"Rumors say they were set up by the Net Battlers to prevent novice Navis from entering something they can't handle."

"…Does that mean," spoke the Browser daughter with concern, "you're heading into--"

"Don't worry, Kimi! I've done good so far, so I'm sure to do well here too!"

"…Okay, Mama."

On went the positive heroine into the new sector. It didn't look much different from all the other sectors, but the layout sure was. Right at the entrance, two dark, purple/pinkish looking Navis laid on the invisible barriers of the sector, almost like street punks in a big city. They both turned at the newcomer, who wasn't intimidated and tried looking tough back at them.

"Heh, another stranger coming to this wasteland," spoke on of the delinquents.

"Hey cutie pie! Don't want an angel like you getting into trouble in a hellhole like _this!_"

The both of them laughed cruelly. She just walked on through.

"I doubt the viruses could be worse than _you_ two!" she retorted.

"Not the one _you're _gonna see!"

"Huh?" Slider took interest and turned back at them.

"There's _some_ freaky virus out there, blasting anything it's eyes get a glimpse of…even other viruses!"

"…I'll go see myself." She continued on.

"We're not kidding, ya know!" shouted one of them.

"Let her go… This is gonna be a twist!"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. There's gonna be a _good-_looking corpse!"

The two laughed cruelly, making Slider angry. But she knew better and didn't look back, giving them _no_ satisfaction.

"Mama? Who _were_ those mean people?" asked the little girl.

"Just ignore them," was the answer from Slider. "They just can't think of anything better to do than pick on people."

The sector seemed barren…_very_ barren. Slider looked left and right, and nothing could be found from her position. All she could see were the suspended paths above the first floor, looking like catwalks over a theater. Not much there either from where she was. She went on with her search.

"Maybe those guys were lying…" said Slider EXE.

"I hope so…" said Kimi. "This Navi sounds scary…"

"Relax, Kimi! I've already told you--"

****

BOOSH!

"What was that?"

The sound came again, this time with a yellow flash of light spawned from somewhere not too far in the distance. Slider made a run to investigate. The violet Navi skidded to a halt when she spotted a lone, dark warrior, in the midst of a battle. She slowly got a little closer, and got a better view of the competitors. A Gaia 2 virus slowly made his way to the fighter, and a Gaia 3 soon followed. The exact moment the Gaia 2 de-petrified itself, the warrior went in front of him and blasted him away with one shot of his powerful blaster. The Gaia 3 soon fell under the same fate, in the same manner. However, the battleground did not disappear. The lone fighter simply made a quarter-turn, and the battlefield turned with him, surprising the Navi and her observing partner. Suddenly, a trio of Wood Aura viruses appeared, all neatly lined up. They faded and then reappeared, each occupying a row and jerking their heads out. The battle-hungry one avoided each assault, and blasted away all of their barriers one by one. Then, one by one, he obliterated them till there was one left in the middle row. It looked left and right, seeing his buddies were gone, and slowly floated backward. The fighter sensed its fear, and with a flash of light consumed the viral coward in deletion. He seemed to have sensed something, and cocked his head to his back. The battleground turned and consumed his backside, and on the other half of it a lone Dyna-Wave Met virus was trying to tip-toe away. It found that it was discovered, and panicked and turned towards his adversary. It shivered as its opponent powered up a shot. The shot was released, but the virus hid under its helmet just in time. It slowly opened the lid, and saw it was okay. It revealed itself and did a little dance in relevance--then got blasted to kingdom come. The battlefield finally faded away. Slider watched what she could see of every battle, and was appalled yet amazed at the excessive deletion the strange fighter caused.

"How could a virus _do_ such things?" Slider said to herself, "to their _own kind_?"

"Mama…?" Kimi showed a bundle of fear and concern as she hugged her Sweater doll tightly.

The fighter sensed something again, and to Slider's misfortune it was her. He turned and saw Slider observing him from a distance, and slowly he walked up towards her. The female Navi stepped a bit backwards as he went forward. But all of a sudden…she just froze. Slider EXE gasped as the assailant came forward, and so did Kimi. The fighter stopped dead in front of her, almost overshadowing his target and not making any other movement than staring right at her face, emotionless. It was…

"…_FORTE?_"

Slider and Kimi simultaneously questioned the warrior's identity, but there he was. Black Navi, with black and orange helmet with the blue jewel on his forehead, the purple streaks going over his cheeks, and of course…the poncho **:P**. Slider slowly realized the truth, and she began being filled with joy.

****

"FORTE!" Slider shouted in joy.

She leaped and hugged her beloved tightly, clinging to his chest.

"Forte… I thought I lost you forever… I can't believe it, it's really--"

"Mama…"

"Huh?"

The Navi heard her partner's fearful cry, and raised her head off of Forte's chest.

"Kimi, what's wrong?"

Kimi just responded with a fearful moaning. Slider was confused…then she looked up at Forte's face. Whatever she saw, she immediately let go of him and stepped away from the horrendous site.

"Forte…_your eyes_!"

Yes, his eyes indeed. No longer white with red pupils, but completely _blood red_ and only black in the center of them. They looked like the kind of eyes a demon would have.

"…TARGET IDENTIFIED."

"What?"

Forte finally spoke, sounding like a lifeless droid.

"TARGET IS A NON-VIRAL NAVI. ELEMENT: ELECTRIC. VIRUS BUSTING LEVEL: ESTIMATED AROUND 59 TO 64. CODENAME…'SLIDER'."

"What's wrong with you?"

He raised his blaster right towards her face, surprising the violet heroine. The battlefield abruptly appeared yet again, this time consuming Slider as the black Navi's opponent.

"…ELIMINATE."

Forte began charging up right in front of Slider, who looked like she was in a trance. But she came to, and jumped out of the way to the bottom row just as he fired the shotwave. But he moved with her, and fired again. She again moved to safety. He just stopped. Slider panted, and also felt a bit relieved…until he raised his hand and started charging up for another attack. The black Navi took out both his blasters and performed the machine gun-like attack. She simply ran in an "S" pattern down the columns, the bullets just one panel behind, and successfully our heroine avoided being damaged, placing herself in the exact middle of her side.

"I don't really want to do this," talked Slider to herself, "but…"

Slider reluctantly put out both of her arms and released her rings at Forte, who was conveniently lined up. The black Navi warped to the left, dodging the rings that flew behind him… He began charging up again, but then was struck in the back of the head as both rings looped back through the other rows. The rings went back on her wrists. Forte brought his head back up from the whiplash, not affected.

"_Something's wrong here_…" thought the violet Navi. "_He should've known that attack well enough by now, knowing him!"_

Forte began charging up again--only this time, it was _both_ blasters. Slider moved about the battlefield, and her opponent tailed her. He let out a single shotwave with his left, which Slider easily avoided as it flowed through the top row, while the right blaster of his was _slammed_ to the ground and blasted into it. The violet Navi immediately looked down, and lo and behold the panel was glowing. She quickly jumped behind herself, and fortunately missed the column of energy that arose from the glowing panel. All around her panels were glowing, and though in the second round none of the columns sprang up from her, the other rounds forced her to constantly move. She goofed at one point and stepped on a glowing panel, getting zapped with energy and finally putting damage on her side.

"MAMA!" shrieked Kimi. A screen just above her Navi with the human showed up on Forte's right, which caught his attention.

"Why are you doing this Forte?!" pleaded the little girl. "You _love_ her!"

The black Navi just stared at her without any emotion--then surprised Kimi by pointing his blaster at the screen. He shot it, and the screen shortly fizzled out like a television screen. Forte focused back on Slider EXE, while Kimi restored the screen.

"…Forte…" said Kimi to herself, not believing what the attacker just did. Slider witnessed the whole thing, and she shifted from shock to anger.

"Forte!" yelled out Slider EXE. "This isn't like you AT ALL! If it means I have to shoot some sense into you…"

She pointed her hands at the jewel on her forehead, and it began to glow a light blue radiance. Her target slightly cocked an eyebrow.

"Then so be it!"

She shot out a light blue beam that successfully hit Forte, who stood there like a deer staring at headlights. While Forte was recovering from the shock, Slider got right up at his face. She leaned back her right arm behind her, and activated one of her new battle chips: the Buster Sword. A light blue energy sword arose from her right palm jewel, and with much force she swung it at Forte. The impact and closeness of the assault sent

him skidding to the very back. He was knocked down to 5/8ths of health, while Slider still had a good 7/8ths left. The smoke from Forte's face dissipated, and he saw his target still looking like she was ready to go some more. Still no emotion. 

"…SUBJECT 'SLIDER' HAS BEEN PROVEN TO BE A MAJOR THREAT."

"What?" asked the heroine.

"ACTIVATE DREAM AURA."

While he still acted like he had been since the fight started--just standing there, looking smug--Slider swore she saw some streak of light that shone across him. Abruptly, she learned why: a green orb encasing Forte suddenly materialized around his entire body, glimmering somewhat in the artificial lighting of the net. The violet Navi felt intimidated at first, but roused up some guts and swung the Buster Sword again. The sword struck the barrier…but nothing much happened. The sword just scratched it, and that was that. The Buster Sword wore off. He walked forward towards the front, and her.

"…This doesn't look good."

"INCREASE 'ATTACK' AND 'RAPID' LEVELS BY TWENTY PERCENT."

A bright orange glow suddenly framed his body, then disappeared as fast as it came. Our heroine decided to lunge at him with the Buster Sword, just as he reached the edge of his side of the battlefield. She swung the luminescent weapon--only to slice at the side of the shield as he mysteriously appeared to the panel above him. Slider was caught by surprise, as well as her partner Kimi.

"Mama?" the little girl asked. "Wasn't he just in front of you? How did he move that fast?"

"…" Slider gave no response.

Forte kept looking in front of him, as he warped to the back row and lined himself up with Slider. He began charging up, but the charge time went faster than normal. The shotwave was shot out just as quickly, before Slider could make any attempt to avoid it. She was hit, obviously, and so crossed her arm over her chest for the moment. Forte warped right up to her, and again Slider was caught off guard. But, oddly, she had enough time to move to the row below, where she shook off the sting from his blast. Then for a moment, she and the black offender just had an old-fashioned stand-off. He charged and shot another shotwave at her, which was fortunately dodged. For a while, all he did was charge and shoot, and all Slider did was dodge in the nick of time again and again. And Forte would always be right on her tail just as she missed being hit by each one.

"_This is definitely not like him!"_ she thought. "_He's tough and strong, but_…_he's so_…_predictable! Forte would always come up with something BESIDES routine attacks."_

Finally, he stopped repeating the attack, and our poor heroine was _exhausted_, while the black Navi looked unphased at all.

"_How can he_… *HUFF* _still look fit_…*PUFF* _After all that excertion?_" she thought.

Forte EXE started charging again…and quickly Slider recognized the move as he let out both his blasters.

"His machine gun-like attack--Huh?"

But she also saw that the Dream Aura had dissipated. Smiling as she saw her chance, she quickly materialized a Gaia 3 hammer in both her hands, raised it high…and _slammed _it onto the ground! Just as Forte was about to get her, the attack stopped as he was struck by the shockwave. The Dream Aura arose again. Slider sighed in relief, but the comfort faded as Forte charged up another attack. Again the Aura disappeared, but she didn't have enough time to think of a way to attack. With one of Forte's blasters out, she saw for a split second a sparkle from the panel _beside_ him, not in front of.

"He's spreading his shotwa--**EEK!**"

She thought to herself too much as one struck her. One was coming at her again…but she activated the Buster Shield, and she formed a big, yellow shield with a green plus on it from her palm, which protected her successfully. And it continued on its job, until the waves stopped. Slider still hid behind the shield. The score: Forte with half of his health, Slider with 5/8ths.

"Kimi…" she called out. "Listen, I know it's tough, but…find me some cards that might bring him back to his senses!"

"Are you…sure?" Kimi hesitantly asked.

"Listen, according to boys' logic a good hit in the head will help them come to reality. Your father--_I mean_, um…Dr. Browser was the same way when I--_I mean_, as I heard!"

"…" Kimi giggled. "You're thinking like you're my mom again!"

Slider just blushed. Meanwhile, Kimi searched for a card…and found something BIG.

"Mama! Use _this_ one!" yelled out the Navi's partner. The child uploaded it, and Slider agreed as she found out what the card was.

"Kimi, that's PERFECT!"

The violet Navi let down her Buster Guard, and now saw Forte on the assault again with another attack on the way. Slider waited for the right moment…and then down went his Aura. Now was the time to _strike_!

"Forte!" the violet Navi called out to the black one. "I _know_ you'll recognize _this_!"

With a flick of her wrist, she unleashed the Battle Card…and summoned none other than Forte himself! For once, Forte looked like normal again as shock came to his face.

"THIS…DOES NOT COMPUTE," he stated.

With time temporarily frozen, the Forte doppelganger unleashed a shotwave through each row. When it went away, Forte felt the damage, and crouched to the floor in agony. Slider witnessed the Dream Aura reappear again…and then shatter like glass soon after. Forte was not depleted of health, but he wasn't attacking either. Slider had the chance now to talk to him.

"Forte… Do you remember anything now? _Anything?_"

"DOES…NOT…COMPUTE… DATA…IS…_COMPATIBLE_…"

Slider came up to him and lowered herself to his level. With a gentle smile, and hoping for the best, she took her hand and raised Forte's head from under the chin, and lined up their eyes.

"Forte, listen to me. It's _me_, Forte…Slider EXE. Remember?"

"…"

"…Forte, _please_. I know you remember me… It's been…so long, but…"

Slider was on the verge of crying. Forte was confused.

"…SLI…DER?"

"*GASP* Yes?"

"SLI…DER…CHA--**!!!**"

"What?"

He suddenly went back to his unemotional condition.

"WARNING! UNKNOWN DATA ENTERING MEMORY BANKS. ABORT ASSAULT AND DELETE INFECTION. ABORT, ABORT, ABORT--"

Both the battlefield and its "owner" suddenly warped away, leaving a shocked Slider EXE.

"NO! **WAIT! _FORTE!_**"

She reached out to the sky for him, to no avail. The emotional stability broke, and she let gravity tilt her body towards the floor, letting the teardrops fall like rain. Kimi felt sad seeing her Navi in so much agony, and frowned thusly.

"…Mama…" she muttered to herself.

***

It was now nighttime. Slider was in her home computer inside her room, locking her arms around her legs and bundling herself up while staring down at the floor. Kimi sympathetically watched her Navi's sorrow, wishing she could do something.

"…I can't believe it…" Slider said to herself, though loud enough for the human girl to hear. "After all this time, we thought he was dead. But now, here he is, all…zombie-like, trying to…delete me… *SNIFF*"

"It's okay, Mama…" told Kimi to her friend.

"I _so_ wanted to see him again! But…not like _this_…"

Slider EXE unlocked herself and walked over to a picture with a yellow frame hanging on her room wall. She took it down and just looked at it. It was the doodle that Forte had drawn months before. Tears stained the glass that contained it.

"…He was _so_ _close_ to remembering me again, Kimi… He was _so close_…"

"….." Kimi left her seat in front of the computer and went to her "sacred" mountain of stuffed dolls. Slider continued in her sadness.

"Mama?"

"*SNIFF* Hm?" The Navi moved her head towards the floating screen, and was a bit touched at what she saw. Kimi, with a smile, was holding a cute Forte doll in her arms, with a big grin and mischievous eyes like the genuine article.

"Kimi… When did you get this?"

"I was saving it for your…'birthday'. You know, the day we first met? It's also thanks, for that Izumi doll you ordered for _my_ birthday."

Kimi looked back from her seat at her dresser drawer, and on top was the Izumi doll in question, mischievous smile and all. Slider stared at the Forte doll, then wiped her eyes and felt better.

"Thanks, Kimi. I…needed that."

Kimi giggled in delight. A knock on her room door came.

"Kimi, are you in there?" called out the voice of Dr. Browser.

"Yes daddy, I'm right here!"

Dr. Browser came through the door and walked to his daughter, rubbing her head like any father would now and then.

"I was wondering why you weren't at the door like always," he said cheerfully.

He peeked at Slider on the computer screen, and seemed a little distraught from seeing redness around his creation's eyes.

"…What's wrong with her?"

"Oh, she's sad because-- Um…because…"

"…I won't ask. I don't need to nose in on personal matters.

"…Dad? Don't you have work to do?"

"…I don't need to get on it right away! Say, who's that?"

He pointed at the Forte doll.

"Oh, it's one of Mama's friends."

"Like that doll of your friend over there?" her father said, pointing at the Izumi doll.

"Uh-huh."

"Come to think of it, I haven't seen him for a while… What ever happened to him?"

"…He…."

"Guess I shouldn't ask yet again. Well, the neighbors are going to bring us dinner soon, so I better start--"

"Wait," said Slider out loud, catching Dr. Browser's attention.

"Yes, Slider EXE?" he replied.

"I…need to tell you something…Kougorou-chan."

"…Kimi, let me have the seat for a moment."

Kimi got off and let her dad onto it. He looked seriously at his creation.

"When you use that name on me…I _know_ it's something serious."

He leaned forward towards the screen.

"Kimi, I'm sorry but I'm going to tell him everything."

"Okay…" complied the girl.

"Go on, I'm listening…" said Kougorou.

"….." Slider took a deep breath, and sighed. She then began.  
  
  
  
"…And we came back here."

Slider finished her long story. Kougorou seemed to have not moved from the seat the entire time, while Kimi went and came back, adjusting the sleeve of her pajamas as she sat on her bed.

"…Heh. Never thought I'd hear of _him_ again," said Dr. Browser.

"What?" Slider questioned.

"That scientist of Forte EXE's… Sounds like a classmate I had back in college. He always said how he'd make the greatest battling Navi, no matter what. Good thing he had second thoughts on that 'no matter what' part…"

"Now that you've heard me and Kimi's little story, I need to ask you something."

"What?"

"I need you to help me get Forte back."

"….."

"_Please?_ I beg you, I _need_ him back!"

"…Slider, Kimi."

"Yes, daddy?" asked his child.

"I want you to come to work with me. I need to help explain to you about Forte's strange behavior. I'll ask Dr. Hikari _himself _to see what we can do."

"…Oh thank you, Dr. Browser, _thank you_!"

Slider praised him with joy.

"Now you two go to sleep. I have work to do."

"Okay, daddy." Kimi crawled under the covers and rested her head on her pillow. Kougorou went down and kissed her forehead.

"Good night, Kimi," he said.

"Good night, daddy…" she said, before slowly closing her eyes and going to sleep. He turned to Slider back at the computer, who was crawling into bed herself.

"Good night, Mr. Browser," she said to her human creator.

"Good night…_honey_," he said humorously. Slider gave an "oh _please_" kind of look with a crooked smile, and pretended to blow a kiss at him. They both chuckled, and she deactivated for the night. The father got up and went towards the door, putting his hand over the light switch beside the door. He looked back into the room.

"…Guess that Izumi kid was right…"

He turned off the lights, and closed the door.

***

__

Tuesday

Dr. Browser led his child, PET in tow--rather, PET _and_ Forte EXE doll in tow--through the doors of the Government Complex. Her father felt awkward, but, whatever her daughter wanted… Kimi was astounded by all the busy scientists and staff working around the lobby, some practicing PET functions on the piles of televisions along the walls. The group walked up to the front desk, and the male receptionist spotted them. Kimi's father showed him his ID.

"Hello, Dr. Browser," the receptionist greeted.

"Hello," the doctor said back, and they went on to and up the elevator. The exited, and went towards the nearby secretary.

"May I help you?" the woman asked.

"Yes, I'm Dr. Browser. I'm here to see Dr. Hikari about that meeting?"

"Ah yes, of course. Just go right in his office."

She pointed towards the door facing her desk. He nodded, and led Kimi through the door. Inside was a bunch of computer equipment, as well as not only Dr. Hikari himself, but…

"Netto? Mayl?" asked Kimi, seeing her two friends there oddly.

"Hi Kimi!" said Netto, waving hello.

"Dr. Hikari told us all about what your father said to him," said Mayl.

"They insisted in helping your daughter in any way possible," explained Dr. Hikari. "Please, take a seat."

"Thank you, Dr. Hikari."

Dr. Browser bowed in respect, and Kimi as well after getting the notion. They pulled up some extra seats that were put in the office conveniently.

"Well Kimi, it's been a while since I saw you last. I think you've grown some, am I right?"

"…Um, thank you, Mr. Hikari…" said Kimi, humbly and a bit embarrassed.

"Say Kimi," asked Mayl, pointing to the Forte doll. "Is that a new doll?"

"Yes! I got it for Mama."

"All of you, activate your Navis so they can hear this."

All three childred turned on the Navis of their PETS, and faced them towards the highly renowned doctor. (Just to note, Rockman didn't see the Forte doll, sort of a good thing really…)

"All right, Slider EXE," said Kougorou. "Tell us shortly how Forte looked and acted."

"Well…" She thought for a moment. "His eyes were all red with fully black pupils. He talked like he was some kind of computer, and he didn't show any emotion at all. He also used an attack I never saw before, some barrier all around him that repelled any attack."

"What could have changed someone like that?" asked Roll EXE.

"Maybe he was infected or something?" suggested Rockman EXE.

"…Slider EXE," said Dr. Hikari. "What you've described is what we experts presently call, a 'Navi ghost'."

"…What?" asked everyone, except Dr. Browser.

"Listen," continued Netto's dad. "When Navis are deleted, some little data remains. These data remnants use what resources they have to repair themselves, and reconstruct the Navi. However, some data is discarded as useless during the repairs, for the data detects the abundance of viruses and decides to focus on battle programming the most. It's also to reduce effort and make the repairing more attainable, what with limited energy and all. Thusly, when the repairs are completed, what you have is the Navi, now without emotion, previous memories, and common Navi functions like e-mailing. Instead you now have him or her target anything threatening and focused on destroying said target, no matter who or what it is. Usually, Navis are deleted in the Net, or the data finds a way to the Net somehow, and so this is where they dwell. They may also be able to use some techniques not fully mastered or 'hidden' during their normal state."

"That…_is_ like a ghost!" stated Netto.

"…Forte…" said Slider to herself.

"Slider," called out Kougorou Browser, catching her ear. "I will say this. We've been trying lately to explore that deep into the Net, but none of our scouters ever made it back. Now we know _why_ at least, thanks to you! So if we can go through with this, it'll be something mutual for the both of us."

"…You're, welcome."

"Wait a minute," said Mayl. "If you've had trouble around there lately, couldn't you have just called the Net Battlers or something?"

"_Well_…" answered Dr. Browser. "You see…"  
  
  
  
It was a tropical beach somewhere in Japan. Millions of people were playing or lounging around, most of them with a Navi beside them. Meanwhile, up on the cliff above the beach laid a luxurious hotel, with a spa inside surrounded by a glass roof and walls. And laying halfway in the spa sat Enzan, resting on the edge of the Jacuzzi while listening to something with a set of headphones.

"_I am untouchable._"

"I am untouchable," muttered Enzan, copying the tape.

"_I am undefeatable._"

"I am undefeatable."

"_No one can tell me how to be the best…_"

"No one can tell me how to be the best…"

"_Because I AM the best_."

"Because I AM the best."

Meanwhile, Enzan's PET sat on top of a table away from the boy. Inside, Blues EXE was inside the online network of the hotel (for the Navis, of course), sitting down on the floor and reading Becoming Friends With Your Partner: The Easy Guide For Navis. Guess he took Rockman EXE's advice on that friends idea!

"'Chapter One'," read the experienced Navi. "'Getting to Know Your Partner. It's always important to learn all about your partner-slash-operator to develop a great relationship with him. The first step, is to _learn his name_.' ….." He sweatdropped. "Oh _this_ makes me feel smart."  
  
  
  
"…They're all on _vacation?_" Netto couldn't believe what he heard.

"Net Battlers need to rest and relax too once in a while!" defended Dr. Browser, tentatively.

"So… What can we do about Forte?" asked Slider.

Everyone looked at Dr. Hikari. He sighed--in a bad way.

"There's a problem with that," the good doctor stated. "In order for us to fulfill that request, we would need copies of his program files. With it, we could make some online device with which to restore _all_ of his data. But… I doubt any of you has such files."

All of the children and Navis lowered their heads, admitting the truth. Slider was depressed the most.

"Is there…_anything_ else we can do, Mr. Hikari?" asked Kimi Browser desperately.

"Perhaps if we somehow capture the Navi and repair him here," suggested her father.

"…I'd still need the program files," answered Netto's father. "However, bringing him here sounds like the best approach."

*BEEP BEEP*

"Excuse me. Let me check this e-mail."

Dr. Hikari turned away from the sad group and went to his e-mail files. He looked at the newest one.

"…'OPEN IMMEDIATELY'? And it has file attachments… It should be easily taken care of if it's a virus."

He opened it. There was only a hyperlink in the message, and he clicked on it. Up came a rectangular screen, with a dull yellow line through it.

"…What's this?"

The others felt curious and crowded around the computer.

"**Is this Doctor Hikari that I'm speaking to?**"

The line went up and down like a oscilloscope, indicating it was a voice mail.

"…Yes it is."

"**Good, good… Please download the file attachments.**"

"WHAT? How can you just _demand_ me to download something that I--"

"**You need Forte EXE's program files, don't you?**"

"HUH?!" everyone felt astounded about this stranger's knowledge.

"**It's everything you need, so just take it! It _isn't_ a virus, I promise!**"

"…Hayato Volume?" asked Dr. Browser.

"**…Who is this?**"

"We were classmates at college. It's me, Kougorou Browser."

"**…Now I remember! It _has_ been a while. You got better in chemistry, I hope?**"

Dr. Browser made a frown. All of the kids and Navis tried covering their giggling.

"I was hoping no one would remember that day…"

"So, _you're_ the one who made Forte EXE?" asked Rockman EXE.

"**Correct!** **Smart lad!**"

"I'm a Navi, Dr. Volume, sir."

"**…Oh. *AHEM* In either case, it's an honor to have talked to the great Dr. Hiraki, as well as an old schoolmate!"**

"You're welcome," responded Netto's father. "Actually, to talk to such a genius in designing Navi combat skills is an honor for myself!"

"**Aw, Doctor, stop it! Now I suggest getting to work _ASAP_.**"

"Why is that?" asked Roll EXE.

"**Not to alarm you, but… I've been searching the Net for Forte EXE myself. What I've discovered, though, is more serious. It seems that some Virus Navis have been searching for said creation of mine, aiming to download him as well.**"

"Virus Navis?" said Mayl. "But, Netto destroyed the WWW!"

"**There are still Net crime organizations out there, just not as well-known. It's best if you get Forte EXE back, _pronto_, before he's used for his…intentional purposes.**"

"Oh no…" Slider felt shivers through her artificial spine at the thought, while Kimi hugged her Forte doll tight.

"**Now that I've done my duty, it's time to say-- What's that? …**"

"Something wrong?" asked Dr. Browser.

"**I've been requested to ask you something, Kougorou. It's something like…'Have you found the time to spend with my sister yet?' …What the heck does _that_ mean?"**

"Sister…?" Kimi thought for a moment, then recognized the term. "*GASP*! Is Izumi there with you?! IZUMI, ARE YOU THERE?!"

"**Sayonara, folks! Gotta go!**"

The screen disappeared, leaving Kimi unanswered. The girl felt disappointed, not able to talk to her "brother" once more, and hugged her doll tighter.

"Just like in all those movies and anime…" spoke Netto. "They always leave when you ask them something big!"

Dr. Hikari went on to download the files. He turned back at the group, and the crept away to give him space.

"It's a _miracle_, that's all I have to say. Kimi, Mayl, and Netto, listen. Me and Dr. Browser will be trying to make the device we need. You three, go on home and rest. We'll call you back here when we're done. Bring your Navis with you, and we'll figure out how to retrieve back the black Navi with Rockman, Roll, and Slider."

"Yes sir!" answered all the children and their Navis, giving off a salute. The parents couldn't help but be amused.

"Okay, 'troops'…dismissed!"

"_Forte_…" thought the violet Navi. "_I promise you we'll be together again_… _I promise_!"

***

__

Friday

All three friends found themselves entering Dr. Hiraki's office practically at the same time--Kimi, of course, escorted by her father and bringing along the Forte doll once more. The good professional awaited them and turned his chair from his computer towards his visitors.

"I hope you all brought our soldiers on the front," said Dr. Hikari.

The kids smiled and pulled out their PETS, the Navis all ready to go.

"All right then! Come here, please."

The kids gathered around and saw beside Hiraki's desk a long, white rectangle with three jack-in ports.

"Just jack them in here, and me and Dr. Browser will explain the battle plan."

They did so. All three Navis warped into the renowned doctor's computer, Rockman's icon as the wallpaper.

"My terminal link to the internet is the closest to the path you need to track in order to get that deep into the Internet. I couldn't borrow the data from previous explorations, so Slider, you're our guide. Oh, and take this."

Dr. Hikari grabbed a black floppy disk sitting on his desk and inserted it. In Slider's hands came something that looked similar to a PET, mainly black with red and yellow outlines.

"Slider, that is what we need to restore Forte to his normal self," said Dr. Browser. "You carry that for the moment, and then give it to whoever will face Forte himself. You need to inject it into one of his 'ears', and it'll download all the missing data he needs."

"We're leaving the battle strategies up to you," said Netto's father. "Choose whatever useful methods and patterns you can think of. Just remember, he only needs to be standing still--or be weakened--enough to inject the data."

"Um, Dr. Hikari?" asked Rockman EXE, raising his hand. "Do you think it's actually necessary for three Navis to do this?"

"_Netto_ and _Mayl_ wanted to help Kimi and Slider in any way they could. I'm just giving you that chance, that's all."

"Oh… Okay then."

"Okay everyone…" began Netto. "Let's--

"Move out!" interrupted Mayl.

"HEY! That was _my_ line…"

"You've had enough glory from beating the WWW."

The Navis began their journey and entered the Net.

***

The three Navis walk towards the mysterious "?" gate that Slider had gone through before.

"…YOU HAVE--_ALREADY_--MET THE REQUIREMENTS. YOU MAY PASS."

Slider went on through the gate, and Rockman and Roll followed her. The gate immediately closed, and quickly examined them by using a light-blue scan.

"…YOU _BOTH_ HAVE MET THE REQUIREMENTS. YOU MAY PASS."

After the two caught up, the trio entered the same area where Forte appeared--and lo and behold, the two rogue Navis were laying right on the walls again, looking at the newcomers.

"WELL WELL WELL…" went the Navi on the left. "Looks like our little cutie pie made it after all!"

"Heh!" snorted his buddy. "Probably used Escape. And look! She brought us another looker…and their master _pimp_ no less!"

The two laughed at their sick and twisted joke.

"UGH! What _jerks_!" said Mayl, disgusted at the two's behavior.

"Nothing more annoying than corrupt Navis…" commented Dr. Hikari.

"Hey, _lay_ _off_ you two!" retorted Rockman.

They ignored him, and one of them went and circled around Roll, looking at her figure and such and making the female Navi a bit nervous.

"_Say_, the pink one here's got a nice figure!" said the perverted Navi.

Slider snorted at them and turned away from the jerks.

"Come on," she said. "Just ignore these two--"

****

SLAP!

"**EEK!**"

The violet Navi quickly about faced with anger in her face, seeing one of the Navis behind her with a sinister grin and chuckle. Her anger rose quite quickly…

"…Kimi, please turn around."

"Okay," obeyed the little girl. She had her back facing the screen, while the others came closer to it. Dr. Browser had a smirk on his face all of a sudden… Meanwhile, Slider just took a deep breath and calmed down…then started forming her Energy Zap ring.

"AWWW, look!" joked the Navi. "She's making a commit--"

"**_PERVERT!_**"

Slider shot the ring, which locked around the perpetrator and zapped him clean of his energy as he wiggled around and screamed in agony. The ring contracted back to her--after a _bit_ of a while--and the Navi slid down to the ground, smoldering and all. His buddy panicked, and scooted away from Roll and the rest of them.

"_OH how that was such a BAD MOVE_…" thought Kougorou.

"Okay Kimi, you can turn back now," called out Slider. Kimi did so.

The three walked into the large clearing, trying to spot any moving thing around. The humans on the other side watched carefully, eagerly awaiting for something to happen.

"Hey Slider," asked the blue Navi. "I just want to know… Why do you want to find this Navi so much?"

The violet heroine did not answer, though a small hint of red showed up in her cheeks, which Roll spotted immediately.

"Isn't it obvious?" answered the pink Navi. "She _loves_ this Navi! …Say, is this the one that--"

"Mama! I see something!" called out little Kimi, pointing to something near the top of the screen so the others around her could notice. "It's right in front of you!"

The three Navis picked up the pace. Just as Kimi said, something was moving--a black and brown looking something. The black Navi just looked around himself for a new target to delete.

"That's him!" shouted out Slider.

Forte EXE heard her and turned towards the group. Rockman squinted a bit to get a better view of the face--then he flipped out.

"Oh, it _is_ him!" said Roll EXE with girlish glee. "I _knew_ it!"

****

"OH NO! _HE'S_ WHO WE'RE AFTER?!" shouted out Rockman EXE.

"Rockman, what's wrong?" asked Netto.

"Netto, remember that guy I told you about that knocked me out in the middle of the night a few months ago?"

"…_This_ is him?"

"Suddenly, I don't feel up to this…"

"SUBJECT SLIDER DETECTED," went on the machine-like Forte. "SUBJECT SLIDER IS ACCOMPANIED BY TWO NON-VIRAL NAVIS. SUBJECT ONE. ELEMENT: NORMAL. VIRUS BUSTING LEVEL: ESTIMATED AROUND 69 TO 71. CODENAME…'ROCKMAN'. SUBJECT TWO. ELEMENT: NORMAL. VIRUS BUSTING LEVEL: ESTIMATED AROUND 48 TO 52. CODENAME…'ROLL'."

"Slider EXE wasn't joking," commented Mayl. "He _is_ like a computer!"

"TERMINATE ALL THREE TARGETS IMMEDIATELY."

"All three?" said Kimi.

"This Navi must have some patience," said Dr. Hikari, "if he's determined to take all three down _one at a time_."

Just then, the black warrior extended out both his arms outward, spreading his palms and fingers outward towards the trio. His own little battlefield showed up--but now, it started to expand. Surprised, the three tried stepping back from it, but eventually all three were caught as the field expanded. Amazed, the humans watched as it stretched out throughout almost the whole area, just stopping in front of the two Navis (one of which, was trying to snap his partner in crime out of it, ignoring the turn of events).

"What in heaven's name…?" Kougorou was astounded.

"One of his 'hidden techniques', dad?" said Netto.

"It would seem so," answered his father. "But such an ability! Incredible…"

"Well, looks like we can help like we wanted to after all," said Roll EXE.

"INCREASE ATTACK AND RAPID LEVELS BY FIFTY PERCENT." commanded Forte EXE to himself.

A bright orange aura, similar but a bit bigger than what Slider EXE already saw, surrounded his outline and disappeared just like that. All three heroes stood their guard, and their lone opponent began to charge up his blaster. The trio made some space between them, just to be safe.

"I don't know how he expects us to be hit," said Rockman. "There's so much field for us to walk on, and a charged shot can only take up--"

****

FWOOOSH!

The _large_ blast zoomed _just_ between Slider and Rockman, a strong gust of wind following behind. Only thing is…the two had _three rows_ between them!

"--One…row…"

"…LET'S MOVE!" shrieked Slider.

The three good Navis scattered. Forte zoomed back and forth, following his targets' movements and shooting off one charged shotwave after the other, the blast only touching the tip of their soles each time they successfully leaped out of the way. Rockman was preparing a charged blast all the while, and when it was done he just stood there, waiting for Forte to try and attack him. He got his chance, and fired the blast--but Forte warped just to the right, and fired his shotwave. Rockman leaped, but his hand was caught, causing half the full damage though. While Rockman rubbed his scorched hand, Roll started charging forth towards the black Navi. As Forte began charging, something odd happened. As the black warrior looked at Roll's face while she went right at him, something clicked inside his memory, and he stared at her wide-eyed.

"UNKNOWN…DAT--"

Momentarily paralyzed, he had the unfortunate experience of having Roll EXE's two headbands continuously whacking him in the face. After the attack was done, she leapt high up backwards to escape to a longer distance. But Forte recovered from the pain and fired a charged shotwave, which caught the pink Navi in mid-air and sent her skidding across the battlefield to the back.

"ROLL!" screamed Slider and Mayl as they saw her friend/Navi becoming unconscious for the moment. Slider turned towards her former boyfr--er, _companion_--with anger.

The violet heroine began charging her two palm jewels and observed Forte's movements carefully. As soon as he lined up with her, she fired her right charged shot at him, but he went to the left. But she leaned to the other row and fired her left, which hit Forte. He still fired, though, and even though Slider missed it, it was heading towards Roll EXE, and Slider gasped. Just as it was about to hit, Rockman acted like the damsel-rescuing hero and whisked her to safety, the pink Navi in his arms. Rockman placed her down as the small explosion made its noise behind them, and she woke up.

"…Rock…man?" Roll asked as he saw her rescuer.

"You okay, Roll?" he asked. "You almost got blasted!"

Roll looked into his eyes, then turned away and gave a little blush. Rockman did the same as well. Rockman and Roll got themselves up from the ground, and the blue Navi went at Forte while Roll warped to elsewhere. The black one shot a shotwave, which he dodged admirably as he went towards the black Navi. Soon, Forte was looking straight at Netto's Navi. Unfortunately, Rockman's fire was dodged as Forte warped to the right--then back at Rockman as he let out a few normal shots, successfully striking him with each one. Just then, gray fields consumed the three just Navis, indicating it was Battle Card time.

"He's _definitely_ suited himself well for his task, this Navi…" contemplated Netto's father.

"Does anyone else notice that Forte's hanging around the front row only?" asked Netto.

The others looked at him, then gave it some thought.

"Yeah…" said Dr. Browser. "He _is_, isn't he? Perhaps you could use that for your card selection."

"I better give Roll some healing cards," said Mayl.

The children finished, and the battle continued. The pink heroine first healed herself with a Recover 120 card, creating a temporary field of light green sparkles around herself. The black Navi struck down his blaster into the ground--a move Slider now knew by heart.

"Be careful, everyone…" said Slider. "We'll need a lot of footwork to dodge this one!"

Forte fired into the ground, and suddenly numerous squares of four panels apiece started glowing. The three witnessed as about ten large pillars of yellow energy burst out of the ground all around them. The three started jumping out of the way as panels started glowing below or beside them, looking like frogs in a frenzy. But as Slider just dodged a pillar, one of Forte's shotwaves had just been released towards her. Looking like a deer in headlights for a moment, she jumped out of the way--face first into one of the pillars.

"MAMA!" shrieked Kimi.

The pillars stopped, and Forte fired a shotwave at the violet Navi while she was recovering. Luckily, Rockman jumped in its way and took the blast, having a bit of trouble standing afterwards. Rockman went towards him, and threw a Earthquake 3 at him. Obviously Forte moved left, but he did not know (in his present state) how such attacks like the Earthquake series damage in a cross, so he got hit. Rockman charged at him, unsheathing an Electric Sword and swinging it at him. But Forte surprisingly warped backwards, getting out of range, and then warped back to the front row, moving away from Rockman and towards Roll EXE. Roll was about to use a Recover 200 when she spotted the black one heading her way. She went closer to him as he charged and fired another shotwave, but she used a Barrier just in the nick of time (the Recover card was wasted, unfortunately). She unleashed a Howitzer, which Forte dodged enough just to be two panels away from the new panel crater, out of the single-panel damage it caused. Roll snapped her fingers, disappointed it didn't hit him. Meanwhile, Forte saw out of the corner of his eye the blue and violet Navis moving towards him, so he started charging up, and got out both of his blasters, unleashing the machine gun-like attack--only much faster than normally. The two halted, and watched as the stream of fire crept towards them from atop the column, jumping forward out of the way. Slider threw out her rings at the side of Forte, and Rockman shot with his blaster. Forte's machine gun attack stopped so he could dodge Rockman's blast, then Slider's two rings. The two stood in their places as Forte charged up another shotwave, both anxiously awaiting for the rings to curl back and hit him. One of the rings did, right in the neck, and the rings returned to Slider's wrists. Slider and Rockman grinned at each other and exchanged thumbs-ups. The black Navi seemed a bit stunned, looking at the little exchange of gratitude between them.

"…UNKNOWN…DA--"

Forte shook his head, and no one heard what he had just said.

"LEVEL OF THREAT ANALYZED."

THAT caught their attention.

"TARGETS HAVE PROVEN TO BE AN EXTREME THREAT. ACTIVATE--"

"_Oh no_…" thought Slider.

"--DREAM AURA."

Like his fight with Slider, a streak of light slid around Forte, and the green defensive orb appeared and encased him. The three kids looked at each other, and decided _now_ was the time to choose Battle Cards again.

"Mr. Hikari?" asked Kimi. "Do you know what we can do about his Dream Aura?"

"Well first and foremost, you need to break it. All barriers up to this day have a weakness, whether they can last only one hit, or can only sustain from so much. According to Slider, it can only break under an attack of….I'd say, a hundred."

"A _hundred?_" said Mayl.

"Afterwards, you need a _fast_ attack before the Aura gets back up."

"Like…a Navi card?" asked Netto.

"Exactly. Good thinking, son."

Netto rubbed the back of his head and smiled. Then the children entered their choices for Battle Chips and released the Navis to continue.

"Okay everyone," announced Roll EXE. "I think we should make this a team effort, OK?"

"Right!" agreed the other two.

First, Roll activated Buster Bomb and started blasting at Forte. The black Navi just looked at her, taking all the bombs unphased, and went towards her, charging up another shotwave to shoot. As he fired it the moment he got aligned with her, Rockman activated a Stone Cube that landed in front of her, taking the blow and crumbling afterwards. Roll rewarded him with a Recover 120, since he needed it anyways.

For a moment, Forte felt…_something_…but that faded quickly.

"UNKNOWN…DATA…" he mumbled.

Though a certain violet Navi--elsewhere on the battlefield--noticed his quick paralysis.

"…Huh," the violet Navi said to herself.

Rockman used a Lock-On 2 card, which caught Forte but didn't do much, even with the constant firing at his Dream Aura. Rockman went away to the right, and Forte followed like a fish to bait, the two of them exchanging charged blasts for a while. Then Roll came in towards the black Navi in the middle of the struggle, trying to hit him with her head bands again. But Forte stopped her by blasting into her face, causing a LOT of damage to her. As the blue Navi witnessed his companion being shot, he felt angry and used a Triple Lance at him--but to no avail, thanks once again to the Dream Aura. (Meanwhile, Roll healed herself with a Recover 150.) Forte suddenly saw something out of the corner of his eye: Slider was just standing there far away from the others. So obviously, he went towards her, and prepared a shotwave to shoot at her. But he was met by…

"TRI-BEAM!"

Yes, Slider had been charging up while Rockman and Roll stalled Forte for some time. Unexpecting such an attack, the Navi "ghost" froze in awe, and was consumed by Slider's attack. Like glass, the Dream Aura shattered, and Forte was now vulnerable.

"Now it's my turn!" said Rockman, activating a Navi card. The three good Navis disappeared, being replaced with Elec Man EXE (level 3). Elec Man spread out his arms, and a thunderbolt stroke the black Navi.

Current status of the four: Forte with 7/16ths of health left, Slider with 5/8ths, Roll with 9/16ths, and Rockman with 3/4ths.

The Aura soon came up, just as Dr. Hikari said it would. Forte right now would've been _very_ P.O.'ed right now if he could show emotion, but either way he charged and released another of his special moves: the shotwave spread. Now with the waves larger, it was harder for even Slider EXE to dodge them, as all three attempted. Rockman tried charging up at one time, but a shotwave that almost hit him buried that idea, so he moved on. However, Slider and Roll weren't so lucky, because as they jumped away from the attack, the two accidentally jumped into each other--and got caught in the same shotwave.

"Poor Roll and Slider!" said Mayl. "How can they _stand_ this?"

The assault finally stopped, though the two female Navis weren't in good shape. Slider, however, was determined to continue on, and so she implemented the special Muramasa card, creating a katana in her hand. She charged like an assassin, and slashed away the Dream Aura. She then quickly had her head jewel to use Weapon Scan on him, and gained the data for the new shotwave. Too bad it was used on her by Forte himself, sending her way back towards the others. As Kimi gasped in shock, Slider was now lowered to 1/8th of health left, and obviously she had trouble standing upright.

"…We gotta stop for Mama!" shouted Kimi to the others. Looking at each other, they agreed. The gray fields wrapped around the three Navis.

"Slider is _seriously_ damaged," stated Dr. Browser.

"How I know it…" said Slider EXE, inside the field.

"Mayl, you have some healing cards we could use, don't you?" asked Netto.

Mayl looked at her PET's screen, and shook her head.

"No, I used them already, and there aren't any showing up either."

"What about Roll's techniques?" asked Rockman from. "She's a good healer!"

All of a sudden, Mayl and Roll began to feel hesitant and turned away from the others.

"…What's wrong?" asked Slider.

"You don't have something that could help her?" asked Kimi.

"Well, _yes_," answered Mayl, "but…"

"Yes?" said Kougorou Browser.

"Um, well…"

There was a long pause, as all the humans and Navis looked at them. Then, both Mayl and her Navi turned back at them, with enough courage to reveal the problem. They both pointed to their lips, blushing. The others' eyes widened, getting the idea.

"_Oh…_" said Kougorou.

Well, _almost_ everyone understood the situation. Kimi didn't understand, tilting her head with a big red "?" hovering over her head.

"…Don't you have anything _else_?" asked Rockman EXE.

"Not really," answered Roll EXE. "The rest of them heal _me_ only."

"…And it _has_ to be the lips?" asked Slider.

"Unfortunately, yes…"

"…_WHY_?" asked Netto Hikari.

"I wanted something romantic. And, most of the Navis I know are all male, except Slider!"

"What's the problem?" asked the little girl, misunderstanding the predicament.

Both Slider and Roll sighed in anxiety, and the fields went away. Forte immediately got out his blaster after waiting so long, but then he suddenly stopped as he witnessed the two female Navis walking towards each other. Then the two nervously looked at one another, then slowly drew towards one another, drawing back a bit as they got closer. Then, their lips slowly started to connect…

"…Um, Mama?" said Kimi.

"Y-Yes, Kimi?" said the violet Navi.

"You…need to heal, right?"

"Yes…"

"I…have a Recover 300 right here… I didn't give you any cards already, so I don't have to wait to give it to you."

"….." The two's lips were about to touch when they heard this. They immediately pushed each other away.

"OH THANK GOD!" they both preached.

Forte was just…confused like _hell_ as he witnessed this, though he didn't show it much. However, if you looked at his face closely, his mouth was starting to curl a bit at the edge….

"UNKNOWN…"

"Huh?" said Slider, hearing that phrase again and turning to Forte.

"…DATA…"

"_He's used that phrase before_…" the violet heroine thought. "_And not just today. But…WHEN? _…_Oh!"_

"WARNING! UNKNOWN DATA ENTERING MEMORY BANKS. ABORT ASSAULT AND DELETE INFECTION. ABORT, ABORT, ABORT--"

"….." Slider awoke from her deep though. Looking straight at Forte, she gulped…then went running at him, surprising the others.

"Wait, Slider!" yelled out Rockman.

The partners on the other side wondered what she had in mind. Forte saw her charging, so he fired a shotwave straight at her. Slider jumped to the left, then went on and veered right when the next one came. The audience gasped as one was closing in to her, but she counterattacked with a shotwave of her own, neutralizing the threat. The Navis and humans sighed in relief, while Kimi looked closer without hesitation at her Navi's actions. The violet attacker was now just a few feet in front of him.

"FORTE!" Slider cried.

The black Navi just looked at her, uncaring, and started charging up for another shotwave. Slider leaped towards him, his blaster following her movement. The shotwave…was cancelled.

The two Navis wre amazed at what happened, while the humans crept even further to the screen--bearing possible eye strain. There was Forte EXE, his eyes open with shock, frozen yet again as his blaster stayed suspended up in the air beside Slider EXE. But what had paralyzed him so much?

….Slider locked lips with his own and was kissing him, with her right arm wrapped around his waist.

The girls went "AWWW…", while Netto felt uncomfortable.

During the distraction, Slider slowly got out Dr. Browser and Dr. Hikari's device from her long hair (hiding it like it was an oversized hair pin) and thrust it into Forte's left ear. As sudden jolts of electricity surrounded her lover, she--unwillingly--stood back and observed the device doing its job, the jewel on it blinking like mad as everyone observed the event. The voltage stopped, and the device shattered into many pixels, its task done. For a moment, the black warrior stood there, dazed and staring at the violet heroine. To her dismay, Slider gasped as she saw that his eyes went unchanged. Soon, he pointed his blaster straight at her, sending the others a jolt of panic and worry. Just as he was about to start charging…his eyes _shattered_--well more likely, the _layer_ over his eyes. Gone were the demonic eyes of black and red, and back came the white eyes with red pupils. His blaster fell to his side, and he looked flabbergasted, still towards Slider.

"….." Both stayed silent.

"…Damn," uttered Forte EXE. "Now I know why you women _love_ that romantic crap!"

"*GASP* FORTE!" shrieked Slider with joy, jumping into and curling her arms around him. Dr. Browser covered Kimi's ears from the profanity.

The battlefield disappeared, relieving the other fighters.

"What the hell _happened_ to me?" asked Forte.

"You were…acting a bit differently," she answered. "We had to snap you out of it."

"_We?_" he said, looking up and around--and spotting Rockman EXE… "…**I WAS SAVED THANKS TO _HIM?!_**"

"WHAT?!" protested the blue Navi.

"**THANKS TO THE _DUMBASS LOSER?!_**"

"**HEY! **Be happy I actuallyhelped, or you might not have your girlfriends embracing you **LIKE SHE IS _NOW_!**"

"Looks like **SHE** did most of the work!"

"HEY! I helped too," called out Roll EXE. "Remember me? I was that pink Navi you asked that night!"

"…." Forte was dazed like before, and tried suppressing the blushing (he's taken already!).

"AWWW, isn't that precious?" squeaked Mayl.

"Is this going to end soon?" asked Netto.

"And besides," continued the pink fighter, "you shouldn't be insulting Rockman like that! _He_ helped destroy the WWW!"

"…._He's_ Netto Hikari's Navi?" asked the black Navi.

"Yup!"

"…If _he_ can destroy the WWW, _I_ can rid the world of Net crime forever!"

"GgggrrrRRRR**RRRR…** *SIGH* Can we go now?" asked Rockman. "It's been a hard day, and I nee--**AAAAAAAAAGGGGHHH!**"

A little sparkle shone on Rockman's back. Everyone turned and saw him yelping in pain, with blue volts of electricity eminating from him. His PET started to act the same way

"ROCKMAN!" shrieked Roll. "What's--**YAAAAAAAHHHH!**"

Soon, Roll fell under the same condition, and so did her PET.

"…NETTO! MAYL! PULL OUT YOUR PETS, **NOW!**" commanded Netto's father.

They did so, enduring minor shocks to their hands. Both Rockman and Roll disappeared out of the Net, leaving the other two to defend for themselves.

"Just GREAT!" admitted Kougorou. "Now Slider's the only one left, and she doesn't have a download link on her! …Hikari, was that--"

"An electromagnetic pulse, yes," he answered. "But…_how_?"

"Daddy?" asked the Browser daughter. "What's an electre--electrimag--"

"EMP for short, Kimi. The short of it is, it causes _havoc_ on electrical appliances."

"Where…_is_ he?" asked Slider.

"…I have an idea," the black Navi answered.

He grabbed Slider forcefully by the shoulders, startling the violet heroine.

"Nothing personal," Forte said before pushing her away from him.

"W-What?" she said, now standing away from him and feeling rejected.

"**DUCK!**"

Slider quickly responded, and Forte shot a normal blast over her head. She turned around, and suddenly like glass the area shattered, revealing a dangerous figure. It was tall, with a U-shaped helmet and torso that looked like magnets, its two ends pointing backward. Three metallic buttons were on its chest, as well as some on his oversized arms, which were metallic and covered in red gauntlets. A metal belt was over his black legs, which had metallic feet with two thick rings above each one. Its face was smug, and Slider could see its green eyes as it looked at Forte.

"HAH! I knew it! You went for her backside, just like I saw with the others," explained Forte. "You creeps get too _obvious_ sometimes, dumbass!"

"A…A VIRUS NAVI!" shouted Netto.

"That would explain the EMP," said Dr. Hikari.

The invader looked at Slider, with intent to harm, and swung his mighty arm at her. She ducked, and was about to prepare an Energy Zap, but she was hit by his second attack, struck in the face with the backside of one of his gauntlets.

"SLIDER!" Forte screamed. "YOU **VIRAL SCUM!** **TASTE THI--**"

****

BASH!

Forte was smashed between the invader and a blue counterpart of it as they both rammed into him from both sides with their elbows. With his breath lost, the real invader grabbed him by the neck and raised him into the air, its clone disappearing. The invader raised his other hand towards Forte, and without warning, a little spike shot up from its palm.

"*GASP* HE'S GOING TO DOWNLOAD HIM!" said Dr. Browser. "**SLIDER! GET THAT NAVI AWAY FROM HIM, NOW--**"

*ding*

"**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!**"

But it was too late. The spike was inserted, and Forte screamed as he felt himself being drained like a popped balloon. Slider watched, furious, and tried to shoot her rings, but the invader put Forte in front of him, using him as a living shield. Slider stopped.

"No…"

"S-SLI…DER…" pleaded Forte.

"…Yes?"

""I SWEAR, I'LL FIGHT DELETION _ITSELF_…TO NOT FORGET YOU…"

"Forte… Forte, NO!"

"**SLIDER-CHAN!** **I BEG YOU, REMEMBER MEEEEEeeeeee**eeeee…."

*ding*

Forte was successfully downloaded, and nothing visible was left of him. Slider, couldn't believe it. He was gone…_again_… After all her and Rockman and Roll's hard work, he was gone… Tears stained her cheeks, almost looking like the stripe design on Forte's own cheeks.

"…YOU….**MONSTER!**"

She powered up her Tri-Beam.

"…Magnet Man EXE, jacking out."

It teleported before Slider could do anything. Shocked that she didn't even get revenge for Forte, she knelt down to the floor.

"…Mama?" asked Kimi.

"…Who's fault is it?" Slider asked herself. "Am _I_ not meant to be with him…or is _he_ not meant to be with _anyone_?"

A surge of rage arose in her, and she slammed her fists to the floor, with everyone watching her.

"Why, why, WHY, WHY, **WHY, WHY, _WHY?!?!_**"

Her feeling of sorrow couldn't help but spread to the others, feeling disappointed. Whether it was because now a humongous threat to everyone was now possible, or whether they felt they let down their child/friend, or whether they wish they could do something for their Navi, the feeling was still the same amongst them.

****

"FORTE-CHAN!!!!"

***

__

Minutes later…

A lab assistant left the room they were all in, taking with him Netto and Mayl's pet.

"Will they be…okay?" asked Netto.

"They should be," his father said. "Just some repairs and your Navis will be fine."

The room stayed silent for a while, since everyone went back to being depressed again. Kimi tried comfort in hugging her doll, but that didn't help matters much. Slider was not in a talkative mood either, almost motionless inside her PET.

*BEEP BEEP*

"Oh, some e-mail…" said Dr. Hikari, using his mouse to open the new electronic message.

"…It's Dr. Volume again."

Everyone heard and turned to him, gathering around as the Doctor opened the sound link.

"Welcome again, Dr. Volume."

"**Good to be back. Well…not really…**"

"Sorry to say, unfortunately we--"

"**Failed, I know. Don't worry, you don't need to know how! So what's your and Kougorou's take on it?**"

"Mainly, now there's a _serious_ threat that could arise and wipe out a _lot_ of Navis and programs…" said Dr. Browser.

"**True, true… …I suppose you should prepare for the worst, right?**"

"Indeed we should," said Dr. Hikari.

"**…This link is secure, right? No one can observe us right now?**"

"Obviously," said Dr. Browser. "Since it's a government building.

"**…..**"

*BEEP BEEP*

"Another e-mail?" asked Dr. Hikari, checking his files. He opened it, and the attachment in it. It was a map, a roadway map, leading from ACDC Town towards…Plus-Minus Town.

"**Use this to get to me. I'll give you all the info I can.**"

"Wait, Mr. Volume sir?" spoke out Kimi Browser.

"**Um…yes?**"

"Can I come too? I want…to see Izumi again."

"**….OHHH, so _you're_ that girl! Yes, he's here all right. By all means, come along! Okay folks, time to split. Sayonara!**"

The sound link closed. Kimi now felt uplifted and ecstatic.

"Can we go now Daddy?" she asked. "PLEEEASE?"

"Okay, okay!" said her father, trying to calm her down. "Say, you two want to come?"

Netto and Mayl looked at each other, then back at him.

"I don't think we need to," said Netto.

"I'm sure we can see this Izumi later," said Mayl. "Right now, we're more concerned on our PETs!"

"Fine by me," said Dr. Browser. "Then I guess it's just me, Kimi, and Dr. Hikari here. So, let's go--"

Dr. Hikari shouted, "**TO THE HIRAKI MOBILE!**"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"….Dad?" asked Netto. "What was _that_?"

"….."

The Doctor sulked in his chair.

"Can't someone serious like me be the comic relief once?"

***

Dr. Hikari was at the wheel, while Dr. Browser sat in the back, nesting his child's sleepy head while she held her PET loosely in her hand, and her arm around the Forte doll. The three drove along a barren road in the middle of a green field during the early night. The lights of Plus-Minus Town glimmered in the distance, a few miles away from their position. A lone house suddenly caught Dr. Hikari's eye, on their side of the row.

"There it is," Dr. Hikari said.

The car parked just outside of the road. Dr. Hikari got out and looked, seeing the house was just a short distance away in the middle of the clearing.

"Kimi," told Kougorou to his daughter. "Kimi, wake up! We're here."

"ZZZ-- ….H-huh?" Kimi raised her head and yawned.

Browser took his child's hand and led her with Hikari to the lone house, the doll dangling as the child held its arm. It was a quaint wooden house--maybe a cabin?--of light brown on stilts, with wooden stairs leading up to the front porch. They went up it together, and Kougorou knocked on the door.

"Hello?" he beckoned. "Hayato? It's me, Kougorou, and I have the Dr. and my daughter with me! …Hello?"

"The door's open! Come on in!"

So they did. Inside were mountains of notes and papers and booklets, mainly around the left side of the room, all surrounding a computer on a marble desk with a swivel chair in front of it. The right side was more clean with a marble table in front of a blue sofa, with stairs somewhere behind it and an open kitchen a bit further behind it. And in the sofa was Dr. Volume himself. He still had blue-framed glasses, blonde hair, and a thin and gaunt figure, but his clothing was informal. He was wearing a dark gray shirt with yellow wrist and neck collars, with a black leather jacket and black pants. His feet were on the table as he chugged down a smooth Vanilla Coke beer. (LOUSY ADVERTISERS! HOW'D THEY PUT THAT THERE?!). Hearing them come in, he placed down his Vanilla Coke beverage (AAGH!) and went to greet his guests.

"Dr. Hikari! Welcome, _wel_come!" he said to Netto's dad, shaking hands.

"Kougorou! It's been _so_ long!" he said to Browser, shaking hands and giving a pat on the back.

"So it…has!" answered Dr. Browser.

"Say, do you remember Mr. Norwaki at all? I'm sure he remembers _you_!"

"…_Please_ let that incident _DIE_ already!"

"Hehe, sorry. Just can't let an exploitable folly go to waste!"

The ecstatic doctor looked down and saw the little girl, looking back at him. He leaned down, still staring eye-to-eye.

"…So _this_ is the girl I've heard so much about…" said Hayato, placing a finger under her chin and looking at every aspect of her body. "…Definitely as cute as I've heard!"

Kimi blushed.

"Thank…you, Mr. Volume, sir…"

"_And_ as polite as I've heard!"

"*AHEM*…" Dr. Hikari asked for attention.

"Huh? …Oh right, oh right, the matter at hand…"

Dr. Volume stood up again, and adjusted his jacket.

"All right, gentlemen, if you'll just come to my computer over _here_, we--"

"**HAYATO!!**"

"Huh?"

Footsteps sounded off from the top of the stairs.

"That voice…" talked Kimi to herself. "Is that…?"

"For GOD'S SAKE, Hayato! Getting the wrong toothpaste is _one_ thing, but NO TOILET PAPER?!"

The other person inside the house slowly revealed himself as he walked down the stairs.

"_That's_ the purpose of a 'grocery list', Hayato. To help you remember what you need when you shop…which you should use instead of your _GODFORSAKEN MEMOR--_"

It was Izumi (like you couldn't have guessed **;P**). Kimi became excited as she gasped in amazement.

"….Kimi?"

"**IZUMI!**" shouted the little girl.

She rushed on over to Izumi at the base of the stairs and hugged him around his legs. Kimi could just cry.

"I can't believe it… It's really you…."

"It's…nice to see you, Kimi!" said Izumi, before he noticed the other two guests. "…They're here for--"

"Yup," answered Volume. "Now gentlemen, just take a seat and we'll get underway."

The two adults took a seat on the sofa, while the children just stood and watched and Dr. Volume stood in front of the table.

"Is there anything I could get you? Beer, coffee…soda even?"

"No thanks," said Dr. Browser.

"Actually, I could use something…." said Dr. Hikari.

"Really?" asked Volume.

"Yes. An explanation. How did you find out my e-mail address? Or that we needed Forte's data?"

"….Wait right here."

Dr. Volume went past the kids and up the stairs. Everyone looked at each other, wondering what was going on.

"…Say Kimi," spoke Izumi. "I just noticed something…"

"What is it?" asked Kimi.

"I never noticed that ring on your finger, the one with green and purple jewels on it."

"She got it from _me_."

Everyone turned towards the stairs…and their jaws dropped. Well, except Kimi, who gasped. There was Dr. Volume, with a yellow fake afro on his head and purple square glasses, smiling goofily and giving off the peace sign.

"It's…" said Kimi. "It's _you_!"

__

"Sorry there, little dudette, didn't mean to startle ya there."

"You're the one who gave me the ring!"

"…Dear sweet God, WHAT ARE YOU _WEARING_?" commented Izumi.

"Hey…." contemplated Dr. Browser. "You wore that at a Halloween party once…"

"Good memory!" said Dr. Volume. "You see, secretly I kept track of Izumi since the day after I pinned him with my little project. However, I didn't want to get _too_ close, in case the WWW was still after my hide. Then I saw this little girl of yours, Browser, meeting up with Izumi _twice_ no less, and my gut feeling told me, 'Hey, this girl might be making some connection here!'. So I gave her this little ring-like device--" He held up Kimi's hand. "--Which not only acted as a tracking device, but let me hear _any_ conversation around her!"

"…ANY conversation?" said the Browsers in unison (with Kimi having a little blush on her cheeks).

"…Oh don't worry! I won't tell anyone about any…_personal_ matters!"

"…What?" asked Izumi. "It's not like she wet the--"

Dr. Browser turned his head quickly and gave Kitzunare Izumi a mean look. The kind of look that means, "be quiet if you know what's good for you!".

"…_Nevermind_, hehehe…"

Hayato threw off the disguise and sat down in front of his computer, turning the chair around towards the two gentlemen.

"So, what do you wanna know?" asked Volume.

"Mostly anything we can exploit," responded Dr. Hikari. "Forte's strategies, flaws, interests, weaknesses, anything of the sort."

"Well, I can help you with the technical matters and functions…but Izumi here knows more about the behavioral points of Forte more than anyone else in this room!"

"I'm…" explained Izumi, "not sure if I can really help… I'm sort of a…"

"…Oh, that's right," remembered Kougorou. "Kimi told me.

"But…you're innocent!" told Kimi.

"…**WHAT?!**"

"It's true," said Dr. Browser. "A few months ago, police found a bombed house with your foster parent's burnt body inside it, and Net Battlers quickly identified him. Didn't you see the news?"

"….**HAYATO**…"

Dr. Volume sweatdropped.

"What's wrong?" asked Dr. Hikari.

"_Hayato_ here wanted to be, quote, _'extra cautious'_, end quote, so he cut off anything connecting us to the rest of the world. So we went for a few months without mail…or a phone…OR NEWSPAPERS…OR TV…**OR _INTERNET ACCESS_**…"

"…No _internet_ access?" asked Dr. Hikari. "That's practically a _necessity_ nowadays!"

"EHEHEHE…" Dr. Volume nervously laughed.

"I'll talk with _you later_, Hayato. But for now, me and Kimi'll be upstairs if anyone needs us," said Forte's previous owner. "Come on, Kimi."

"Okay," she complied, following Izumi upstairs.

"…._This_ why you haven't married yet?" asked Kougorou Browser.

"No, but might as well be…" Dr. Volume answered.

***

The two pretend siblings sat on a porch connected to Izumi's new room, high above the ground, leaning on or looking through the railing at the glittering stars. The doll laid down on the floor by Kimi's little feet.

"So…" Izumi said, "um, how have things been?"

"Well, Netto beat the WWW," spoke Kimi, "and lately my dad seems to try and see me more often…though he's still at work all the time!"

"Heh, can't imagine why…"

"Also, I had my birthday!"

"Really? Well blast it, and I don't have a gift for you!"

Kimi giggled.

"It's okay! Being with you is great enough."

"So watcha' get?"

"A _lot_ of new Battle Chips--they're _very_ strong--and some new dolls. OH! And Slider EXE ordered a doll of you off the Internet for me!"

"I'll have to see it sometime! It's hard to catch the charm of the genuine article! …Say, did she also get that Forte doll for you?"

"Oh no, actually I got it _for_ her. Want to see?"

She handed the plaything to him, and he observed it closely.

"…Heh, neat! I'd ought to show it to Forte whenever he comes back!" He thought, "_So I can TEASE him with it! HEHEHEHEHE_…"

He handed the doll back.

"…What about…Slider EXE?"

"*SIGH* She's depressed. And Mama had a hard time getting over Forte's deletion, too. She's collecting all these pictures and things about him, just so she won't forget Forte."

"Must be hard for her."

"Yeah…"

"…How do you…feel about Slider?"

"Huh? Well…she's like my mom, only I can't touch her or anything. She's real nice, tries to tell me what I should and shouldn't do, and she's always there for me. She's like…she's like…"

"A guardian?"

"Well…yeah, something like that!"

"That's how I sorta feel about Forte. Sure, he's obnoxious and rude sometimes, even downright _unbearable_! But…he's always tried to look out for me. He's tried to be the strongest, just for me. It's hard to think such a Navi could've been part…"

"Of the WWW?"

"Right. …He's a fallen angel."

"What? But…fallen angels are always mean and nasty!"

"No, he's different… He fell into the pits of a Net crime organization, but unlike other fallen…he tried redeeming himself. All the more why he's the greatest to me. …But, that's just some pointless ranting! The important thing now is, I can live normal again, and we have each other again, right?"

"Right! ….*YAWN*"

"Oh, I guess you have an earlier bedtime, huh?"

Izumi got off the railing and turned, going towards the door of his room.

"Let me get your dad so you can go home--"

"Wait!"

"Yes?"

"Could you…ask if he could just pick me up tomorrow? I…want to stay here tonight."

Izumi smiled.

"Sure thing."

__

Minutes later…

Inside the dark room of Izumi, pajama-wearing Kimi was getting herself in his bed, the doll in bed for her to snuggle with, while Izumi, also in pajamas (though he felt a bit embarrassed about it) fluffed his pillow just above his sleeping bag that laid right next to the bed.

"Izumi," she asked, "are you sure you'll--"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," he answered. "Just go on and get comfortable."

Kimi tugged herself in a bit more.

"Um…you don't need a bedtime story, do you?" asked the "brother".

"No, not really," the "sister" responded.

"*PHEW* Good, cuz' I _stink_ at those."

"*YAWN* Good night, Izumi…"

The little girl laid down on her pillow and turned her body away from Izumi. The boy looked at her for a while, then with a smile, he kissed her on the cheek, opening Kimi's eyes.

"Good night, Kimi."

He crept into his bag, unaware Kimi was awoken, and smiling.

"…Kimi?"

"Um, yes?"

"Don't tell anyone that was your first kiss from a boy. You don't want to go bragging how your first kiss came from _me_!"

"…."

It was too dark to see, but the girl blushed. She then fell asleep, snuggling her cheek on the Forte doll's face. Then Izumi opened an eye…

***

Slider EXE had just been roaming around her PET room, depressed and thinking heavily on things of life. …Then a screen showed up with Izumi's face on it.

"Huh? …Oh, hi Izumi," said Slider, unenthusiastically. "Guess it's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Sure has," Izumi responded.

"So where's Kimi?"

"Asleep. She's staying her for the night with me."

"Ah, I see… *SIGH*"

"Really that depressing, huh?"

"I'm sorry, I'm not _really_ in the mood for a conversation right now…"

"I'll try to make it brief. …There's been…something that's been bugging me a bit, and you're the only one to answer it."

"What is it?"

"Why do you like Forte EXE so much?"

Slider was taken by surprise from that request. Though she knew and it didn't require much thinking, she was a bit hesitant.

"I mean," continued Izumi, "you two haven't had much time together, and already you're falling for the guy!"

"Well, that's a part of why," said the violet Navi.

"Huh?"

"I…I want to know if we're really meant for each other. It's like, when you don't try out something because you're afraid, and then you're nagged by the thought of howbad or good you could've actually done in that something."

"…And the other parts?"

"Well… I… *SIGH* I think he needs me."

"Oh, _this_ I gotta hear."

"After hearing all about his origins, and his personal problems, I feel that he needs someone…to help give him strength and the will to go on, and to understand him when he needs to be understood."

"Like…a wife?"

Slider looked away from him, hiding her blush.

"…Forget I said that."

"…Will you answer _my_ question now?"

"Hm? Sure, ask away."

"Why do you want to be my Kimi's 'brother'?"

"…I heard from Forte about how your partner had a dead mom and a workaholic dad. That sounded _almost_ like me, a boy who grew up parentless…except for the foster parent from HELL. I went through a _hectic_ life because of that, sculpting me into the person I am now. I don't want Kimi to end up like me."

"…Now I know something you and Forte share."

"What's that?"

"You both have someone to look out for."

Izumi smiled.

"And you and Kimi both look at the inside, not the out. Heh, probably since you're--or are _modeled_ after--her mom, so it's no surprise."

"Yeah, I guess so!"

"…OH! Just a moment."

The screen disappeared, leaving Slider wondering what was going on. Then he came back.

"I sent a little something home. Should help you to get to know Forte a bit better."

"What is it?"

"Me and my Navi used to take web photos of each other all the time. You know, to see what we each did when we weren't with the other."

Another screen showed up to Slider's right. She saw on it, an _impossible_ photo of Izumi and the taller Forte, side by side with big grins…and giving each other bunny ears.

"Amazing what you can do with a little editing, huh?"

Slider looked at it for a moment, then giggled.

***

"Uhhhh… Where…am I?"

Standing, Forte EXE awoke from possibly a long stasis of inactivity, wobbling a bit as he tried staying up. He shook off the feeling, and looked around. There was a large lone spotlight around him and him alone in a room full of darkness, and he could make out a bunch of silhouettes of others all in a line observing him from a distance. He counted about six of them. One was a big-chested figure with a small head. Two of them looked like they had horns, one tall and thin with two thin, pointy horns and a blade on each wrist, and the other one very small in height with big fat horns shaped into a "V". The next was fat with some kind of Mohawk, and some sort of big orb attached to his arm. He easily knew the next one was the one who captured him, Magnet Man EXE. And the last had a normal shape, but had spikes coming out along his arms and shoulders.

"You've finally awoken," spoke Magnet Man EXE.

"Much to _your_ dismay," retorted Forte.

"You won't get anywhere trying to do something funny," said the big-chested one.

"**WATCH ME!**"

Forte charged with his blaster ready at the line of enemies, though they looked calm, and he…ricocheted off of some invisible field, back into the middle of the spotlight.

"You think we didn't see _that_ coming?" said the tall horned one. "In this business, you got to think _fast_!"

"Though it's…dishonorable," spoke the fat one, "it _is_ necessary."

"YOU…**_BASTARDS!_**"

"Sorry," said the small horned one, waving his finger around, "your attitude don't scare us _one bit!_"

"So where the _hell_ have you taken me?"

"To our headquarters, of course," told the one with spikes.

"_Our_?"

"**Yes, _our_ headquarters.**"

In shock, the kidnapper and his comrades turned to see a large rectangle with a white border--a screen--with nothing but black. They all bowed towards it.

"**Excellent work, Magnet Man EXE. You and Gauss have my gratitude.**"

"He and the others weren't much trouble," said Magnet Man. "Hell, even the almighty _Rockman_ fell quickly!"

"**HAHAHA! Excellent, _excellent!_** **So, _you_ are the powerhouse Navi Forte EXE, eh?**"

"So who are _you_ freaks," asked Forte, "some insignificant net crime organization trying to hit the big leagues?"

"**WRONG.We are the Net-Mafia Gospel, an organization bent on bringing a new order to society and the world.**

"Sounds like an excuse just to have fun at other peoples' expense…" the black warrior said. "So how'd you hear of me?"

"**One of our members had a relative who worked for the WWW. _Your_ owner's relative, right Quick Man EXE?**"

"Yup," said the tall horned Navi. "Daisuke has a cousin named Boomer. Not surprised, they're _both_ bomb-addicts!"

"So what do you deluded _bastards_ want with me? I _won't_ become another of your flunkies if _that's_ what you want!"

"**Somewhat, yes… But not _entirely_ like you think.**"

"What?"

"**What we want more is your battle data, and with it, _all_ your special techniques. You see, we have a little…_project_ that we'd like to improve upon, and your data will surely help us do so**."

"Well in that case…_SCREW YOU!_"

He flipped them all the finger, making some of the Navis a bit angry--mainly the big-chested and small horned one.

"**You've got courage, I'll give you that! …Maybe we should _show_ you our project, and _then_ you'll understand**."

*snap*

THUD…

THUD…

__

THUD…

Forte got a bit anxious as he heard the steps get closer, and closer…

__

THUD…

**__**

THUD…

**__**

THUD…

**__**

THUD!

A _big_ shadow covered Forte. He turned around, and saw the project. It was an _enormous_ dark-gray cyber wolf, with green flashes of light constantly blinking on the panels that made up its face, with a glowing yellow and orange frame that streaked along the spikes that sprouted from the end of its head. It growled with one red eye and a set of sharp teeth, for some of its face and body looked incomplete, apparent from the lack of digits and a right side on one of its gray palms. Forte stepped back in fear, as he looked straight at the monstrosity.

"**Meet our namesake… _GOSPEL_.**"

"…Izumi… Slider…"

**__**

GGGGGRRRRRRR…..

"I'll _try_ and survive this, for your sake. …I'll _try_…"

**__**

AWWOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!  
  
  
**_The End…For Now…_**


End file.
